By The Book
by Deandra
Summary: First, the courtship that didn’t happen, now Eomer and Lothiriel find a bumpy road to their wedding. Sequel to “No Mistake” – it’s best you read that first. Prequel of the Elfwine Chronicles series.
1. Default Chapter

**A/N: Back by popular demand, more with Eomer and Lothiriel. I think this is probably the end of the story in my mind, so I probably won't do any more sequels to it. But this should be a more satisfying ending for all of you who wanted 'more'.**

If you have NOT read No Mistake, it is best that you read it first as there are numerous references to it in this story.

A tip of the hat to several readers who sent along story ideas (and thus are partially responsible for this getting written). While I didn't necessarily use their exact idea, seeds were sown by what they said and the result will be presented in this story. So thanks to: Jenni (aka JoJo4), Lady ot Rings, Wondereye and Lili.

Note to BurningTyger - Sorry more trauma (or entertainment) ahead!

**ENJOY!**

**By The Book**

A sequel to "No Mistake".

(August, 3019 III)

Chapter 1

I had been home for a week – a very long, miserable week. This was going to be much harder than I had anticipated. So, today, I did what I had done every other day this week when I could stand it no longer – I sat down and wrote Eomer a letter. I had sent six off with a courier two days ago and already had a stack of seven waiting for the next rider I could persuade my father to send – or until a courier came from Rohan and I could send them back with him.

I sat at my desk, twirling my quill for a long time, imagining Eomer in my mind's eye. That led to reminiscing about the time we had spent together and before I knew it, it was an hour or so later and I had put nothing on paper but a few drips of ink. I dropped the quill and went over to flop down on my back on my bed. How was I ever going to last one month and nine days, approximately, until I saw him again?

So far, I had not received any letters from Eomer, but I knew as king he would have a great deal less free time for such things than I had. Even without letters saying so, I could only hope he was missing me as much as I was him.

A knock at my door pulled me from my morose reverie, and I slowly rose to go answer it. Upon opening it, my youngest brother pushed past me and came into the room.

"Please come in, Amrothos," I said sarcastically to his back.

He turned and gave me an evil grin. "Now, now, dear sister. That is no way to treat your beloved brother, especially when he has possession of a packet of letters addressed to you and sent by some miscreant in Rohan!"

With a gasp, I dove for the letters, catching him off guard enough that he wasn't able to pull them out of my reach before I got to them. Laughing, he sprawled himself on my bed and told me, "Well, open them. Let us see what dear old Eomer has to say to his betrothed."

"Oh no you don't!" I told him. "You are leaving and I am reading these in private. Go!"

He reached for my pillow and made himself comfortable, "No, no. I am fine right here. Please, do not let me keep you from your letters!"

"Oh, alright," I told him, seeming to give in. As he curled up, surprised at my compliance, I bolted out the door and took off down the hall. I still had a few hiding places where the family never found me and, within moments, I was safely tucked away in a crawlspace I had discovered as a child. I could hear Amrothos calling me, obviously annoyed that I had outwitted him, but I just sat back in anticipation and slowly opened my first of four letters.

_Beloved Thiri,_

_Well, I do hope you do not mind having the wedding Eowyn is planning for us, because I think it unlikely we will have any say in the matter! She has completely forgotten about her own wedding in favor of planning ours. I have tried mentioning that perhaps you would like to plan your own wedding, but she brushed my comments aside as if she had not heard and continued doggedly on, rattling off what she had scheduled so far. I will not bore you with the details, because she changes her mind every few hours and comes back to me with 'the new plan'._

_If the truth be known, I do not much care about the wedding. All I want is you as my wife, especially since that will mean having you here rather than there. It already seems as if you have been gone forever, my love. Are you sure we cannot persuade your father to let us marry sooner? Were I not the king of Rohan, I would ride to Dol Amroth, steal you away in the middle of the night and we would be married in the first obscure little village we came to with someone having the authority to bind us together. But, alas, neither princesses nor kings may do such impetuous things. So we must endure much pomp and circumstance, and interference from my sister!_

_All my love,_

_Eomer_

I leaned back and sighed happily. Once again Eomer and I were of the same mind. His plan to sneak away sounded much more appealing than the way I knew it would have to happen. This was one dance with Eomer I would never be able to dodge.

I didn't really mind Eowyn's interference too much. I knew she was just thrilled at the prospect of her brother taking a wife and finding happiness. She really could not bear to be as joyous as she was with Faramir if she couldn't see Eomer happy as well.

I slowly worked my way through the other three letters and then reread the lot of them several more times. One month and nine days – I'd never make it. And that was just until we saw each other again. The wedding wasn't until next spring, but Eomer was coming to visit us in Dol Amroth in late October and, among other things, I looked forward to showing him my home.

We had finally convinced Father that I was marrying Eomer for love rather than duty, but he still was skeptical enough to insist we wait at least six months to wed after our trothplighting. That had taken place in August, before we left Edoras, which meant we couldn't marry until the following February. The only trouble was, the heavy snows in the mountains made travel between Rohan and Gondor unfeasible until Spring, so the earliest we thought we could manage it was late March.

I had tried convincing Faramir to persuade Father to let us wed before the year was out, and he might have attempted it had it not been for Eomer having insisted on the same sort of wait for he and Eowyn. In an effort to win Faramir's support, Eomer had consented to their marriage being moved up to the Fall, but Father proved obstinate. Ah well, at least Faramir came out ahead on this deal! And Eowyn's wedding provided us an excuse to see one another before the winter's snows insured our separation. Eomer was to travel to Minas Tirith for Eowyn's wedding, so we arranged for him to come to Dol Amroth afterwards and spend a fortnight before returning home.

I gave another heavy sigh, reread Eomer's letters one final time and then returned to my room to start that letter I meant to begin earlier.

_Dearest Eomer..._

xxxxx

One month and four days...I'll never make it. Amrothos thought it incredibly amusing that I was already packed and ready to go to Minas Tirith for Eowyn's wedding, which was, after all, a long way off yet. I had been unable to find anything to occupy my mind for any length of time; well, not until I discovered a few books on the history of Rohan in our library. Faramir and I shared a love of history, and likely I had read these books before, but it all seemed new and much more interesting at this sitting.

In short order, I was well-versed in the Kings and Queens of Rohan's past, whose ranks I would join...soon. I sat in the garden, twirling my braid and contemplating that, when I noticed the arrival of a servant who informed me a courier from Rohan had just ridden in. I quickly shut the book and raced off to find him, wanting to make sure he waited while I collected my letters for his return journey.

Once that was done and I had received the letters to me that were in the packet, I slipped off to my bedroom to enjoy them. The second one I came to was in an unfamiliar hand and I stared at it in wonder. I knew what Eowyn's writing looked like, so I knew it was not from her or her brother, but who else in Rohan would be writing to me?

Quickly I slit the seal and opened it. My good spirits dissipated more with each line I read. When I finished, my hand holding the letter dropped to my lap and I emitted a low growl of anger. I read it again, in hopes I had misunderstood, but, no, it said exactly what I thought it had said. Some woman in Rohan named Danwen was informing me of her dalliances with the king and his growing affection for her.

I fell back on my bed and stared at the ceiling for a good long while, considering the matter. Finally, I snatched up the letter and stormed off to my father's office. Fortunately, he was alone for I do not think I would have been willing to wait to speak with him.

"Father," I said without preamble, "I must go to Edoras at once. Amrothos may escort me if he is willing, but a guard of Swan Knights would also be sufficient!"

There was no mistaking that I was upset and my father tried to remain calm. "May I ask why?" he inquired.

I held out the letter to him and after reading it, he sat back and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Thiri, you must understand that soldiers sometimes..."

I cut him off, "The letter is a lie, Father. Of that I have no doubt. If Eomer ever dallied with this woman it was _before_ we met. He would not do so now." I made my statement emphatically, making it clear that I would brook no argument on the matter.

He looked at me with gentle eyes, "And what would be your purpose in going to Edoras?"

"I will claim what is mine, and I will make certain this woman knows that I do not believe her, and that she would do well to stay far away from my betrothed!"

Father attempted to dissuade me from my chosen course, but I think he knew right from the start that I would not be swayed. He could either send me to Edoras on his terms, or risk me sneaking out in the night and riding there alone.

At last he agreed to let me go. Even if I accomplished my purpose, he knew it was unlikely that once I was there I would be persuaded to return home anytime soon, so he agreed that I should travel with the wedding party to Minas Tirith in October.

While it was beneficial that I was already pretty much packed, I still had to wait for Amrothos to get ready and an escort of Knights to be arranged. I think Amrothos was purposely taking his time, just to torment me, but we finally departed after two days.

Personally, I would have ridden longer and spent less time sleeping and resting, but Father had put Amrothos in charge of the company and I had to abide by his decisions in the matter. After the second day of dealing with my growing irritation, he seemed to decide it might be better to torture me another time and the pace of the trip quickened.

Father had wanted to send a message on ahead to alert Eomer that we were coming, but I assured him we would be to Edoras quickly enough that it was unnecessary. Besides, I wanted to surprise Eomer and this Danwen!

A week later found us nearing the gates to Edoras. Amrothos had tried again to convince me to send a messenger on ahead, but I insisted he not do so. "They will see us coming and inform the king. That will be sufficient warning."

He gave me a questioning look, wondering what my thoughts were, but made no further comment. He knew my reason for insisting on this trip, and I had seen in his eyes that he was worried I would get hurt by all that was taking place. But, I also knew that my family did not truly understand the depth of my feelings toward Eomer, and my utter confidence in him. I could not believe he would do anything to hurt me.

The guards gave us curious glances as we passed through the gates. Not having been informed we were coming, they were wondering what was going on. One man rode forward to escort us up the hill. As we drew nearer, I could see Eomer waiting for us on the terrace around Meduseld. I was fairly sure it was not standard practice for the king to come out and meet arriving guests. A group of onlookers was also gathering to learn what brought the Dol Amroth crowd back to their city so soon after leaving.

We dismounted and I saw Eomer's questioning expression, not entirely hidden by his hesitant smile. It was apparent to me that he knew about the letter, and was assuming that was the reason for my visit, but he was still trying to gauge my reaction. Amrothos trailed behind me up the steps and stopped on the step below me, saying, "Hail Eomer, King of Rohan!"

Eomer nodded to Amrothos' greeting but his eyes never left mine. A slow smile crept over my face and then I took a step forward and pulled his head toward me, giving him a long, lingering kiss for all to see. After a few moments, I heard Amrothos give a discreet cough and whisper, "Perhaps you two would like to take your hellos inside?" I pulled back and with great purpose, slipped my arm possessively around Eomer's as we turned to move into the Golden Hall. I didn't know if Danwen was in the audience, but I had little doubt gossip would spread quickly about Dol Amroth's greeting of their King!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oh, good! What a relief - you all are liking it!**

**Jazzcat - Not to worry. Eomer will find his voice. He just wasn't sure what to expect when she turned up out of the blue, without sending word. Now that she has, ahem, 'explained' herself, he'll be okay.**

**By The Book**

Chapter 2

It took awhile to get our party settled into rooms, and Eomer had been in a council meeting when we arrived. He needed to return and finish up that, and a few other items of business, before he was free to simply sit and talk with me.

He found me in his garden, twirling a late season blossom in my fingers.

"It is good to see you," he said softly, startling me from my reverie. I had not noticed his approach.

"You as well," I answered. I held up the blossom, "I stole one of your flowers." I wasn't sure why I was feeling a bit awkward with him.

He stepped toward me and slipped his arms around my waist, "Then I must punish such blatant thievery!" His lips lowered to mine and suddenly my awkwardness melted away.

I smiled up at him as he pulled back and then rested his forehead on mine. "I should have known you would come when you got her letter."

"She told you she wrote to me?"

"Yes. I think she thought it would cause you or your family to break the betrothal, and that I would consider her in your stead. As if I could think fondly of anyone who tried to hurt you!"

I squeezed him more tightly. "She did not hurt me – she angered me. I have come to defend what is mine! And I do not doubt that you _are_ completely mine!"

We stood in silence for quite awhile and then, suddenly, he chuckled. "Well, we do owe her credit for bringing us back together sooner than we expected! I had not thought to see you again for at least another month."

I grinned conspiratorially at him, "Not only that, unless Rohan declines the pleasure of my company for the next month, my father has consented for me to stay here and travel to Minas Tirith with the wedding party! I _may_ have neglected to mention to him that my coming to Rohan had a little to do with Danwen's letter, and a lot to do with a desire to be with you again!"

He laughed heartily, "One thing is for certain, you have not changed since last I saw you, my sweet!"

I pulled him closer and laid my head on his chest. "I have missed you so very much, my love," I whispered, and felt him kiss my head in response.

"And I, you."

xxxxx

Supper that night was a quiet gathering of just the four of us – Eomer, Eowyn, Amrothos and me. However, in honor of our arrival, Eowyn was hastily pulling together a feast and celebration. She had asked me what brought me to Edoras, and since Eomer apparently had not told her about Danwen, I thought it best that I not do so. I simply told her I couldn't bear to be separated from Eomer, which was not entirely untrue, but I saw by the look in her eye that she knew there was more to it than that. I wasn't surprised to see her cornering Amrothos after supper when Eomer and I drifted away for a walk in the moonlight. And knowing my dear brother, he wouldn't hesitate to fill her in, but at least I had not done so.

After we had strolled for some time, hand in hand and silent, I let out a contented sigh. "It is good to be...home." I turned to smile at Eomer and found an elated expression on his face at my choice of words. He pulled me close and just held me tightly, and I knew there would never be anywhere else I would feel so safe and loved.

Eventually, we did talk, though much of what we said was the same as what we had written in our letters to each other already. Before we knew it, it was quite late and we reluctantly slipped back inside and headed off to sleep.

Poor Eomer had to be up early, but I had the luxury of sleeping in and it was well past sunrise before I awoke. However, I was to learn that was primarily due to Eowyn threatening my brother's life if he disturbed me. Even so, once they had eaten breakfast and she was otherwise occupied, he turned up at my door, knocking loudly for admittance.

I had actually awakened a short time before, but I yelled at the door, "Go away, Amrothos. I am sleeping!"

I heard him laughing and then he started pounding all the louder. I sat there watching the door and counting. When I got to twenty-two, it finally occurred to him to try the latch and he discovered it wasn't locked.

He sprawled across the foot of my bed and made himself at home. "So, how late did you and the king smooch in the garden?"

"We did not smooch in the garden!" I exclaimed indignantly. As he gave me a skeptical look, I added haughtily, "We tore off our clothes and made passionate love among the flowers!"

He began laughing so hard he started choking and I had to pound him on the back. "There, there, brother. Do not fret. We will be wed before the babe is born!"

He laughed all the harder and managed to say in a strangled voice, "You are not helping!"

When he had somewhat recovered, he eyed me sternly, "I certainly hope you do not go around telling people things like that. Someone might believe you!"

"Do not be ridiculous. I would only say that to annoying brothers who ask personal questions!"

"I am not the only sibling asking personal questions. Eowyn had a few of her own last night."

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth. You cannot always be here to keep an eye on Eomer so I thought you would want her help."

"I see. And did it occur to you that I will be here until her wedding in October, after which _neither_ of us will be here to keep an eye on Eomer?"

"Oh. No. I forgot about that." He shrugged, "Sorry. But anyway, she knows your dark secret. Perhaps you can get her to run the woman through in a duel. Word is, Eowyn is pretty good with a sword."

I rolled my eyes, "Yes, a _bit_. Good enough for the Witch King, anyway." Changing subjects, I stood and told him, "Get out."

"I beg your pardon..."

"Get out! I want to get dressed and find something to eat. Go find the Swan Knights and try to stay out of trouble."

He strolled toward the door, "Alright, but do not think I will not be keeping an eye on you and dear old Eomer. I am, after all, your chaperone for the duration!" He pulled the door closed behind him, just in time to block the shoe I had thrown at him.

Once I was dressed, I wandered forth to the Golden Hall in search of sustenance and to see what was going on. I found Gamling and he sent to the kitchen for a servant to fetch me a breakfast and chatted with me while I ate. The king was in yet another council meeting, a regular occurrence of late as they tried to make sure all of Rohan was ready to face the winter.

Eowyn put in appearance just as I finished eating and joined us. She went over the plans for the evening's festivities with Gamling while I listened. Then they both excused themselves to hurry off and attend to various tasks that needed their attention, and I was left alone.

I considered my options for the day and then returned to my room and retrieved the book I was currently reading. I retired to the garden, to a bench in a sunny spot. The air was already a bit cool and the sun felt nice. I must have been reading about an hour or so when I heard footsteps and looked up to see Eomer approaching.

"Well, at least I will have little difficulty locating you if there is a garden nearby." He smiled warmly at me and I moved over to make room for him to sit next to me.

"How did your meeting go? Will Rohan be ready for the winter?"

He sighed and worked his shoulders to ease the tension in them, "Hopefully. I still worry, though. So many crops were destroyed, and if it is a hard winter, the people will suffer."

I rose and moved behind him, massaging his neck and shoulders. "Is there anything Gondor might do to help? Even though Minas Tirith suffered tremendous damage, their food supply was largely unharmed and their stores have a surplus. I am sure King Elessar would be happy to send aid if you think it necessary."

"Perhaps," he murmured, his eyes closed as he enjoyed my hands forcing his muscles to relax and unkink. "I will give it much thought before we go there next month, and decide if I will approach him on the matter."

"Well, Faramir owes you for moving up the date of his wedding even though he did not help us in return. Do not hesitate to call in his debt!" I said softly.

He let out a chuckle, "Blackmail? Who is this woman I am to marry? I thought she was a genteel lady of Gondor's nobility, but now I find she is a scoundrel at heart!"

"When have you _ever_ known _me_ to be 'genteel', my love?" I asked. "Have I not guided you in trickery and deception from the time we first met?"

He thought a moment and then conceded the point, "Yes, now that I think about it, you have! You have always been a scoundrel!" He reached around and caught me by the waist, pulling me around the bench to stand in front of him. He looked up and grinned at me, "And I do not seem to mind one bit!"

He was just beginning to pull me down onto his lap when Gamling appeared and smiled knowingly at us. "My apologies, my lord, but there are papers you must sign and Lord Bronow is awaiting you in your study."

Eomer sighed and rose, reluctantly releasing his hold on me. He caught my eye and whispered, "I can only hope the scoundrel will not find marriage to the king too boring and tedious!"

I saw little of Eomer for the rest of the day. I talked Amrothos into taking a ride with me for about an hour, but after more than a week of travel, he wasn't anxious to spend a lot of time in a saddle.

By late afternoon, I was getting a bit nervous. I had a feeling I might well meet this Danwen face to face tonight and I wanted to be ready for the encounter. Both to relax myself and to prepare for the evening, I had my maidservant, Miren, arrange a bath for me and I soaked a long while until the water began to cool.

I slept for about an hour and then rose to begin preparing for the evening. Normally, I didn't pay a great deal of attention to my appearance, but I very much wanted to look my best tonight. Miren loved working with my hair, putting it in intricate styles, though I rarely let her do much. I made an exception today and let her work to her heart's content, and even I thought it was magnificent. The girl does have a gift for working with hair. My hair alone took almost an hour, so by then I had to hurry a bit to get dressed and be ready when Eomer came to escort me to the Golden Hall.

If I had any doubt that my appearance was all I wished it to be this night, the look in Eomer's eyes quickly dispelled the notion. I have been told I am a pretty girl, though I never gave the matter much thought, but in Eomer's eyes I felt beautiful beyond description and it warmed me to my very core. We moved slowly down the hall, and I think we were both reluctant to spend this night with others. But duty called, and it was too late to cancel the festivities Eowyn had worked so hard putting in place.

I do not remember a great deal of the supper or other activities. They were much like those of other functions like this that I had attended. Eowyn had pointed out Danwen to Amrothos, and he leaned over to make her known to me.

She was not an unattractive woman and, under other circumstances, perhaps Eomer would have indeed been attracted to her. But her gaze in my direction was cold and calculating, and I felt her challenge. Well, Gondor is not home to the faint-hearted, and I am a daughter of royal lineage. I would not hesitate to fight to the end to protect my own.

As the dancing began, I shared a few dances with Eomer and one with Amrothos, but Eomer had to mingle and greet his guests so he could not spend all his time at my side. The ladies of the royal court seemed desirous to become better acquainted, and I was drawn into a group of them for conversation. It was not long before I noticed Danwen edging in on the periphery, and I steeled myself for whatever she might attempt.

Soon she was making veiled references to Eomer's good looks and how the women of Rohan had long enjoyed his company. She even went so far as to suggest he should have chosen a wife of his own country rather than a foreigner. Some of the women were beginning to shift with discomfort, uneasy with the tenor of the discussion. Finally feeling I had tolerated her long enough, I spoke up.

"The ladies of Rohan are both fair and worthy, to be sure," I commented, "but they did not win the king's heart. He found love, and his queen, in Gondor." I eyed Danwen meaningfully, and she gave me an annoyed, venomous look before she slunk away from the group.

At that moment, Eowyn slipped up beside me. It was clear she had overhead my statement, and possibly part of the conversation as well. She excused us from the other ladies, drawing me away to 'help' her with something, but it turned out she was really only rescuing me. When my anger seemed to have dissipated a bit, she moved on to her other guests.

I was grateful when the party ended not too much later. I was tired, and still a bit annoyed by the woman's undisguised attempts to steal my betrothed from me. I had noticed that Eomer had pointedly avoided being put in a situation where he would feel he had to ask her to dance. I wondered if all the practice I had given him in eluding dancing with someone was now proving beneficial. I smiled to myself at the thought.

At last the Golden Hall was cleared of people, and even Amrothos had wandered off to bed. Eomer, Eowyn and I sat enjoying one final cup of wine and resting a moment before following Amrothos' lead.

Eomer had not asked about Danwen, but Eowyn raised the subject. "You would have been very proud of Lothiriel, Eomer. She looked positively regal as she silenced her on the issue of who you should be marrying." Then she related to him what I had said and I blushed slightly. I had not been looking for praise, only to establish clear boundaries. Eomer, I think, understood that and gave me a small grin. Neither of us was prepared for Eowyn's next words.

"Lothiriel, I assure you, you have no need to believe anything this woman tells you about her and Eomer. Indeed, I know for certain that my brother has never even been with a woman before, so definitely not her. You will be the first." Eowyn asserted triumphantly.

"Eowyn!" I had never seen anyone manage to blush and look deathly pale at once, but Eomer was doing it. There was a look of mortification on his face, and something else I couldn't quite place. He bolted up from his seat and stormed from the room, too angry to speak.

Eowyn's eyebrows raised in surprise. "What is the matter with him? I would think he would be pleased that I proved Danwen was lying about this!"

"Eowyn," I said softly, choosing my words carefully, "I am sure you meant to be helpful, but that is not the sort of thing any man wants said about him, especially not to his betrothed. It was his place to tell me, not yours. He is both angry and embarrassed."

A look of understanding crossed her face and then dismay, "Oh dear! I did not think of that...I only wanted to help."

"I know," I assured her.

"I had better go apologize," she said, starting to rise.

I caught her arm and pulled her back down, "Better tomorrow than tonight, when he is less angry and more inclined to be rational. I will go see if I can perhaps ease his embarrassment."

She nodded, clearly still distressed. "Do not worry! I am sure he will forgive you once he lets himself realize you were trying to help, and that I do not find fault with him for this." She smiled weakly with gratitude as I stood and headed for the exit Eomer had taken.

I found him in the garden, staring rigidly off into the distance. I knew I would be risking injury if I approached him without his being aware of my presence – his soldierly instincts ran too deep.

"Eomer?" I called softly.

As rigid as he was, he still stiffened at my voice. "I would prefer to be left alone," he said curtly.

I moved quickly forward and slipped my arms around his waist from behind, laying my cheek against his back. "I know, but then you will go to bed angry and get no rest, and you will wake up disagreeable. So clearly it is in everyone's best interest if I do not leave you alone just now."

Against his will, I felt him relax slightly and I slid around to face him as he at last raised his arms and put them around me.

"I do not think any less of you for this secret, my love. Eowyn only meant to aid your cause by convincing me you had not been with Danwen. She did not intend to embarrass you." I tightened my hold around his waist and laid my head on his chest. "In truth," I added more softly, "I find it pleasing to know I will be the first."

"You do not think me...unmanly?" he asked with some hesitancy.

"No, dearest, not in the slightest. There is nothing unmanly about you...except when I imagine you barefoot in a skirt, of course!"

He couldn't restrain a laugh and finally fully relaxed in my arms, holding me tight and laying his cheek on my head. "Thank you...for being you, and everything else."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes at bottom.**

**By The Book**

Chapter 3

One thing unexpectedly being in Edoras showed me was that a king works very long hours. I spent my first week there seeing very little of Eomer. I knew it was not due to unwillingness on his part to spend time with me, but rather the pressing needs of his kingdom that kept him in meetings virtually all day, and working late into the night. Were it not for meals, I might have seen even less of him, and sometimes he even missed those or grabbed them on the run.

Realizing that, if I was to be here another fortnight, I couldn't let them treat me as a guest, and I did not want them to, I sought out ways to occupy my time. When I had been here in August, I had wandered around the town a bit, but now I had extra time to explore it more fully. I reacquainted myself with some of the people I had met before and learned even more about life in Edoras and Rohan.

It was in the middle of the second week that I discovered the orphanage. Tucked away on a backstreet, it was a nondescript building, somewhat shabby and rundown. I might have overlooked it were it not for the large number of children playing in the yard. One doe-eyed little girl who was about six or seven years old wandered over to where I stood and smiled up at me.

"Hello," she said. "My name is Lissa. What's yours?"

"I am Lothiriel. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lissa."

She grinned and thought for a moment, then told me, "That is a pretty name – Lothiriel. I like it."

I smiled in return. "Thank you. Yours is very pretty too." I looked back to the building, knowing it could not be a family with so many children and asked her, "What is this place?"

Her face fell a bit and she looked down at the dirt, "It is an orphan home. For children whose parents died."

I knelt down so we were on eye level. "I am sorry. Are you the only one in your family, or do you have brothers and sisters here also?"

"I have a brother, but he does not live here. He is a soldier and he sleeps in the barracks with the other men. He says some day he will buy a house so we can live in it together."

Just then, a young man strode up and said questioningly, as he eyed me, "Lissa? What are you doing?"

I went to stand and he hastily offered his hand to help me up. "Thank you. May I assume you are Lissa's brother?"

He nodded, "I am Kialmar, my lady. I hope she has not been bothering you."

"Do I know you?" I asked. Something about his question suggested he knew me.

"Oh, no, my lady!" He blushed, "I am a soldier in the king's escort party. We all know of you, Lady Lothiriel." He dropped his eyes in embarrassment.

"Well, judging by your reaction to meeting me, I can only assume you have heard some fearsome things about me," I teased.

His head jerked up and he blushed even more when he realized I was joking, "No, my lady. Not at all." He hesitated, then added, "Most everyone thinks very highly of you and will be pleased to have you as queen."

"_Most_ everyone? Hmmm, I hope you are one of those that approve!"

He grinned, but eagerly nodded his head, "Oh yes, very much so." He stopped and blushed again.

"If you do not stop blushing, your head will explode! Please, relax. You said yourself I am not fearsome. I will tell you if you say anything rude or unacceptable – _then_ you can blush!"

He smiled with a mixture of relief and gratitude. I suspected he was not familiar or comfortable consorting with the noble class. But he seemed an amiable young man, and eager to please.

"I assume you are here to visit your sister. Do not let me keep you. I was just wandering about town and stumbled on this place for the first time." I paused, then added quietly, "It appears in need of attention."

He caught my meaning and nodded slightly. "The orphan home is not the highest priority in council meetings, but the good people who run it do the best they can with what they have."

"Would you introduce me to them?"

He blinked in surprise, "Yes, of course, my lady." He gestured with his hand for me to precede him to the door.

The husband and wife, Hamal and Breewyn, were a pleasant couple who obviously loved children, and I spent over an hour talking with them about the orphans' home and the problems it faced. One of their biggest problems was the lack of help, and I decided I would make it a point to come as often as I could to lend a hand. That should occupy my abundant free time, and in a worthwhile manner.

As I was leaving, Kialmar was returning to Meduseld as well, and we walked back together. He told me the circumstances in which his parents and younger brother were killed, leaving only him and his sister. He didn't like having her stay at the orphanage, but their home had been destroyed and, being a soldier, he was not in a position to care for her. He hoped to one day have a home and marry so Lissa could come to live with him again. Until then, he tried to see her as often as possible, and he often did work around the orphanage in his free time to help out.

Over the next week, I began spending more and more time there and grew to love the children. Many had lived hard lives, and then to lose their parents as well was a severe blow. But Hamal and Breewyn had been a steady influence in helping them deal with their grief and they largely seemed happy.

It frequently turned out that Kialmar was headed that way when I was and so we spent much time together. He finally learned to relax and not be so intimidated by me, and he made for a pleasant companion.

Less pleasant was Eomer. He seemed to grow more and more cross by the day. I knew he was overworked, but I resented that he seemed to want to take it out on me. When we were together, he was withdrawn and bad-tempered, and I found it easier to leave him alone than put up with his moodiness. As the week progressed, I was beginning to wonder why I was even in Edoras when he clearly did not desire my company.

Normally, I am a fairly calm and easy-going person, but I began to be fed up. Even Amrothos was treading lightly since the slightest thing seemed to set Eomer off, and the more disagreeable he became, the more irritated I became. I knew Eowyn was concerned, but wasn't quite sure what to do about it.

At last, when Eomer took to eating his dinner alone in his study rather than joining us, I had had enough. Throwing down my napkin, I stormed from the table and down the hall. Not even bothering to knock, I marched in and stood in front of his desk with my arms folded across my chest and glaring at him.

His head had jerked up when I barged in, and he sat sulkily returning my glare. "If you wish me to go back to Dol Amroth, just say so, Eomer! Do not play hide and seek with me!"

Belligerently, he snapped back, "I am not playing hide and seek! You have made it clear you have found more pleasant company than mine! I do not think Kialmar would like it very much if you were to leave!"

The angry retort on my tongue stalled and I blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You heard me! Did you think I would not learn of your new 'interest'?"

Realization suddenly struck me like lightning; that was what this was all about – Kialmar!

I sat down heavily in a chair and tried to gather my thoughts. Eomer watched me warily, wondering what I was up to and why I said nothing.

Finally, I lifted my eyes to meet his. "You think I prefer his company to yours?"

His jaw tightened, "From what I hear, you spend almost every waking moment with him. When I became unavailable, you seem to have quickly found a substitute! Though I suppose I should not be surprised you would prefer a younger man with plenty of time to pay full attention to you."

Tears sprang to my eyes, his accusation cutting like a knife. But, in all honesty, I could easily see how things might be misconstrued. I struggled to come up with the right words for what I wanted to say. At the sight of me sitting before him crying, Eomer's anger faltered.

Finally, in little more than a whisper, I choked out, "Forgive me, my love. I did not intend to wound you so. When you were so busy with matters of the kingdom, I sought ways to amuse myself instead of addressing the problem of having so little time with you."

I stopped, wiping at my eyes, then managed to continue, "If someone has told you I have behaved improperly, you are misinformed. Kialmar and I are friends, but nothing more, and we have never even been alone together, let alone done anything intimate. I would _never_ wish to replace you with another."

Eomer's stony face crumbled at my words and I had no doubt that he believed me, so I slowly rose and went to stand behind him. I slipped my arms around his neck and rested my cheek on his head. "Oh, my love, I am so very sorry."

He caught my arm and pulled me around to sit on his lap, then wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my neck, content just to hold me. Finally, he whispered, "I could not bear thinking I had lost you to someone else."

My hand slipped to his chin and I raised his face to gaze into his eyes, "Never!" And then I slowly added emphasis with a kiss.

It was quite some time before our attention returned to our supper, and Eomer accompanied me back to the Golden Hall to finish our meals there. Neither Eowyn nor Amrothos said anything, but they could hardly miss the blissful expressions we wore. I think both sighed with relief to know that the trouble was resolved.

xxxxx

From that point, I determined to make some changes. If Eomer must be in council meetings, then I would be there with him. He had no objection to the idea, though I am not sure his advisers were as pleased with the arrangement. At the very first meeting I attended, I made my presence felt.

Just as they were beginning to close, I cleared my throat and said, "My lord, may I speak?"

Eomer glanced curiously at me, wondering at my purpose, but nodded, "You may, Lady Lothiriel."

I told them of the orphanage and the straitened conditions they suffered. "I would think, my lords, that assistance could be provided for them. These children have suffered the loss of their parents – indeed many had fathers die protecting Rohan. They should not also have to suffer lack of the bare necessities of life as well."

The advisers, upon my finishing, immediately began to come up with numerous reasons why this was not a simple matter to deal with, and they did not have the resources to assist the orphans. But Eomer silenced them as he stood, "I will send two servants from Meduseld to help them with the care of the children, and two soldiers will be assigned on a rotating basis to go and do any work that needs doing there."

With the king showing such obvious support, gradually they began to come up with small ways to assist, and I was pleased that conditions would soon improve for the children, and the burden would be eased for Hamal and Breewyn.

As the time of our departure for Minas Tirith drew nearer, Eowyn grew more nervous. When I had arrived at the end of September, she had already abandoned her wedding plans for Eomer and was once more focused on her own, and trying to make sure she didn't forget anything she needed to do before we began the journey eastward.

One of the most amusing parts of her preparations was when she decided she must learn how to cook for Faramir. To that end, she began daily instruction under the cook, and the rest of us got to sample her wares at the next meal. Fortunately for us, the cook made sure there was plenty else to eat, but Eowyn did gradually improve and before we departed, she proudly made an entire dinner for the four of us. Eowyn knew they would have servants to do such tasks when she became Faramir's wife, but it was important to her to be able to cook something for him on occasion as a way to show her love for him. Knowing Faramir, she could have served him a bucket of oats, and he would eat it with relish just because Eowyn had given it to him, but I didn't tell her that.

And at long last, the day of our exodus arrived. The morning was spent with everyone scurrying around, making sure everything was packed and loaded on wagons. I made one final visit to the orphans' home to say my farewells, and tell them I would see them in the spring. Lissa was sad to see me go, but more so her brother who would be travelling with us. I assured her he would be back as soon as he could, and that it was a great honor for him to be in the king's escort. She smiled and nodded, telling me she was very proud of him, but the sorrow in her eyes told me it was still hard for her.

Abruptly, I stood and said goodbye, then turned and raced up the street back to Meduseld. When I arrived, I quickly located Eomer and pulled him aside to make my request. He hesitated a moment before replying, but then spotted Eowyn directing the loading of trunks, and his face softened. "If Kialmar agrees to this, then go and get her. I did not like being separated from my sister when I was a child."

I gave him a brief hug and then dashed off to find Kialmar among the escort party assembling outside. I think he was a little uncertain about the whole idea, taking Lissa to Minas Tirith and then Dol Amroth with us, but when I assured him it had the king's approval, and that he need only take responsibility for her, he gave in with a grateful smile. "Thank you, my lady! We will be gone for over a month, and I know it would be hard on her not to see me for that long."

As he had duties to attend to, I hurried back to the orphanage and explained the situation to Breewyn. We soon had a small bag packed for Lissa and she was happily accompanying me up the hill.

As we prepared to mount up, Eomer slipped up behind me and whispered, "One thing is certain – life with you will never be dull!"

**A/N: Psst! Down here! Yes, I snuck this in at the bottom instead of the top since I was going to say something that would give away what was happening.**

**Blue Eyes At Night - Yep! Who needs FedEx when you have Wagging Tongues, Inc. on the job!**

**ForeverFaramir - This story is a couple of pages longer than the original, but will have 9 chapters total (so some of the chapters are kind of short, but I tried to break them at the 'logical' places). Stay tuned! More Faramir will be coming up!**

**Eokat - Don't know if anyone will figure it out or not, but my original thought was that Eomer knew about Kialmar and Lothiriel spending so much time together because of Danwen telling him. He wouldn't have believed her except every time he inquired where Lothiriel was, someone would tell him they had seen the two together. However, when I began writing that bit, it didn't seem to work to have him telling Lothiriel that, and since the story is her POV, she wouldn't know it unless he or someone else told her Danwen had been behind his suspicions. Even so, though unsaid, Danwen _was_ the culprit - for all the good it did her!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: this website has been slow posting reviews and sending e-mail updates, so I suddenly got a whole bunch of reviews all at once. I decided to put responses at the bottom since there were several I have something to comment on.**

**By The Book**

Chapter 4

And so our journey began. I had a wide range of emotions vying for dominance – sadness at leaving Rohan, excitement over Eowyn and Faramir's wedding, pleasure at the idea of more time with Eomer outside of council meetings, and even...conflicted feelings...about returning home, but knowing that meant not seeing Eomer for a long time.

When we stopped for the night on our second day of travel, I walked to a nearby hillock. I stood gazing over the land of the Riddermark, as the sun set in the distance, lost in my thoughts. My trip to Edoras in September had begun as a defensive measure against Danwen's attempts at encroachment, and also had been a thinly veiled excuse to rejoin Eomer. But my stay there, in the weeks that followed, had revealed to me just how little Eomer and I really knew of each other. I had enjoyed my time with Eomer, but beyond that I suddenly saw him in a much different light and knew that I had never really considered what our life together would be like.

I was startled as arms slipped around my shoulders from behind, but then relaxed when I realized it was Eomer himself, come to join me. Soon, he began to kiss my neck and tickle my ear with his breath. When I did not immediately respond to his caresses, he noticed that my mood did not match his own.

"What is the matter?" he asked softly in my ear.

I sighed, and took a moment to answer, finally saying, "I do not wish to tell you, for I fear you will hear only the words and mistake my meaning."

He turned me to face him. "Try me," he encouraged.

I chewed on my lip briefly before making an attempt. "Do you ever wonder if my father might be right – that we are rushing into this too quickly?"

His eyes darkened and he asked, "You are feeling uncertain about us?"

"No!" I pulled away from him, waving my hands frustratedly in the air, "This is what I mean! You misunderstand!"

His face reflected his confusion, as well as his earnest desire to discern what I was trying to say, so I made another attempt, "When we met, right up until I left to return to Dol Amroth, we were in a separate world. You were king, but you...you had special matters to attend to, rather than the day-to-day problems of running a kingdom. You had more time to relax, enjoy the company of friends, even make a new friend of a Gondorian's daughter." He grinned at that.

"But those several weeks were not representative of your life and your daily activities, and neither was I acting in the manner which a princess is normally called upon to act. At home, I have duties and responsibilities, and Father even has involved me in council matters so that I would have experience with how such things are done. All you ever saw was a lady of leisure, who, other than being taken to task by her father for her casual behavior, did little more than idle away her time seeking her own amusement. I may have proven myself an amiable companion, but do you know my capacity to stand at your side as a queen? Are you confident I have the knowledge and skills needed to support and help you, rather than just lounge around being waited upon by servants?"

I wasn't sure I was making much sense, and I turned away from Eomer with dissatisfaction at my explanation. I was a little surprised when Eomer neither said anything, nor put his arms around me again. When I snuck a glance, he was deep in thought. At length, his gaze raised and met mine.

"What I _know_ is that you are intelligent and diplomatic and, despite your preferring casual behavior, I have seen you 'act the part of a princess' on more than one occasion. I cannot believe that Imrahil's daughter is a lazy layabout who lets servants wait on her endlessly. I cannot believe _you_ are like that. And you forget, I _have_ seen how you would fare at my side. You sat in council meetings with me, and made intelligent, well-thought-out comments and suggestions appropriate to what we were discussing. You raised issues which deserved our attention but, for whatever reason, did not have it. I do not doubt for one single moment that you will make an excellent queen, as I am confident you are an excellent princess of Dol Amroth. And I am absolutely certain there is no one else I want at my side – as my queen or, more especially, as my wife. My life is not worth living if you are not in it."

I was overwhelmed by the fervor of his pronouncement. My eyes teared up and I flung myself into his arms. clinging to him as I wept for joy. I didn't know what I had ever done in my life to be so blessed with the love of such a man, but I was infinitely grateful that I had done it. Or perhaps I was blessed in spite of myself, but either way I was not going to argue further and risk losing him.

As my tears eased, I pulled back slightly and began wiping at my face, though the front of his tunic had absorbed most of the moisture. He caught my chin and raised my head to look in my eyes, "Is this debate settled?"

I smiled weakly and nodded. He gave me a rakish grin and whispered, "Then can we go back to the discussion I was trying to have before you brought this whole thing up?"

With a laugh, I caught his face in my hands and kissed him soundly. When we paused for breath, I murmured against his lips, "Gladly!"

xxxxx

We fell into a bit of a routine on the journey. Lissa slept with Eowyn and I, who were once again sharing a tent, and we kept an eye on her during the day. Then in the evening, when his duties were ended, Kialmar stayed with her until it was bedtime. When he could, he ate his meals with her as well, and it was clear that she was thoroughly enjoying this trip. I think it helped Eowyn be distracted from her nervousness to have a child to keep an eye on and fret over. She remembered all too well how important her brother had been to her after the death of her parents, so she and Lissa got along well.

Eomer and I took every opportunity to spend time together and, surprisingly, Amrothos did not annoy us too much with his interference as 'chaperone'. Once in awhile, when he got bored, he would try to rile me with comments or by dogging my footsteps so I couldn't be alone with Eomer, but mostly he preferred the company of the Swan Knights or the Riders of Rohan and I was free to do as I chose. When he got too annoying, I would go and find Lissa and he would quickly make himself scarce rather than babysit. Once he was gone, Lissa was quite content to be with me and Eomer, but never really paid much attention to what we did or said.

And then we were at Minas Tirith. Clearly Eowyn had an internal battle going between nervousness and excitement, and I tried to stay close by and keep her calm. I distracted her for a bit with getting some new dresses for Lissa, so she would be appropriately dressed for the wedding and in the royal court. Kialmar was bunked with the soldiers, but I kept Lissa with me in my room and he would come to get her during the day.

Whenever I did not have need of her, Miren would go with Kialmar and Lissa to spend the day and help him care for her. I sensed Miren had a growing attraction for the young man, though I was not sure whether or not he felt the same. But he gladly accepted her company, so perhaps he was beginning to have an interest as well.

The day of Eowyn's wedding finally arrived, and I almost think Eomer was as nervous as she was. As adults, they had grown apart somewhat when Eomer was away more and more with his eored, and she was left at Meduseld. But after the War of the Ring, they had become close once again and I think their joy in Eowyn's happiness was tempered by their acknowledgement that they would soon part company again, and not see one another for long stretches.

Even my usually calm and easygoing cousin was on pins and needles as his wedding day approached. His own emotions included sorrow that his brother could not be there to stand with him on this important day, or share in his happiness. I was pleased that my own brothers seemed to realize his feelings and were spending much time with him. It wasn't the same as having Boromir there, but I knew he appreciated having family around him.

The wedding was beautiful and Eowyn was radiant. Once she looked into Faramir's eyes, her nervousness was forgotten as she basked in the overwhelming love emanating from his gaze. Faramir seemed like a man lost in a dream and never wanting to awake. I managed to keep my emotions in check during the ceremony, but shortly after it ended, when Eomer stepped to my side, I burst into tears of gratitude over Faramir's joy. I had long hated the way my uncle had treated him, and was thrilled that he finally had something good in his life, just desserts for the wonderful man that he was.

Eomer and the Rohirrim men had a marvelous time doing everything in their power to keep the lovers apart as long as possible on their wedding night. I finally took pity on the couple and helped them escape. I arranged with Miren to bed Lissa down in Eowyn's room and sent the couple to my room, where no one would think to look for them.

The next morning, Eomer pretended to be cross that the couple had eluded them, but when he saw the smug look on my face he seemed to realize how it had happened. "You did this, didn't you?" he exclaimed.

I gave him a wide-eyed look, "Me? Whatever do you mean? Are you accusing me of being sneaky and underhanded?" Before he could reply, I added, "Are you calling me a scoundrel?"

He burst out laughing, "I knew it! It _was_ you – they would never have escaped unless you had your hand in it!"

I shrugged noncommittally, "I only did for them what I would wish done for myself." I gave him a meaningful look and he glared at me in exasperation.

"Oh, alright! If you are going to put it like that, I suppose I should thank you for interfering." Then under his breath he muttered, "Spoil sport!"

I chuckled, but pretended not to have heard his comment. I pushed away my half-eaten meal and asked, "What shall we do today?"

He glanced at my plate, "Is that all you are going to eat?"

I nodded, "I am not very hungry. My stomach is a little queasy – perhaps from the celebrating last night." Changing the subject back to my original question, I asked, "Shall we go for a ride? I know some lovely spots nearby that we could visit, and if I plan it right, we might be able to avoid taking Amrothos along."

He grinned his approval, "Sounds good to me. After breakfast – say, in about an hour?"

I nodded and rose from the table, feeling a little flushed and wanting some air. "I will meet you at the stables." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as I left to return to my room.

I gave a quick knock on the door and called, "Faramir? It is Lothiriel. I need to get some of my clothes." I heard shuffling about and then in a few minutes, he appeared at the door in only his trousers. I blushed and apologized, "Sorry! If there had been more time, I would have taken more of my things with me so I wouldn't have to disturb you."

"I can hardly quibble about this slight inconvenience after all your help last night. Get whatever you need. Oh – are they still looking for us?"

I shook my head, "I think most of them passed out last night shortly after they lost you. Eomer was a bit disgruntled and suspected I had helped you escape, but when I reminded him that turnabout was fair play, he seemed to lose interest in pursuing you any further! I think he will leave you alone today, especially since I am going to take him out riding in an hour and have every intention of being gone most of the day!"

"And will that be with a chaperone or are you sneaking out for this ride?"

"Wouldn't you rather not know?" I asked pointedly.

"Aye. Come to think of it, I would. Then I will not be blamed for anything by your father or brothers. However, I do expect the two of you to behave yourselves so I do not have to regret my willful ignorance!"

"Yes, _father_!" I replied sarcastically. I glanced over at the bed where Eowyn had been hidden under the covers ever since I came in. "Perhaps I should get my things and leave now," I suggested, nodding my head toward Faramir's concealed wife to draw his attention there.

He chuckled, "Yes, perhaps that is a good idea. We will see you later, probably at supper."

"Would you like me to send someone up with a breakfast for the two of you?"

"That would be lovely. Thank you." He gave me a kiss on the cheek as I moved to the door with my armload of clothing and other articles.

"Then do not get too comfortable for a bit and it should be here shortly." I exited the room after wiggling my eyebrows at him and he pretended to slam the door after me.

I quickly put my things away in Eowyn's room and arranged for Miren to get a breakfast for the honeymoon couple before she left with Kialmar and Lissa for the day. The fewer people that knew where the lovers were hidden, the better.

I was still feeling flushed as I changed into my riding clothes, and thought it strange as the day was not particularly warm. However, I passed it off as merely needing some fresh air, which I would soon remedy on my ride with Eomer. Amrothos had not put in appearance yet, probably still sleeping off all the ale he had drunk, so it looked like we might just make it out of the city before he awoke.

Not sure if it had been quite an hour yet, I chanced heading for the stable, figuring Eomer would come sooner if he could. As I drew near, I saw him by the stable door, talking to a groom. All of a sudden, I felt very lightheaded and Eomer seemed to be a great distance away. I took one step and my mind began to fog as everything went dark. That was the last thing I remember.

**Responses to reviewers (and thanks to all who reviewed!):**

Magsluvsaragorn, wondereye, Blue Eyes At Night- There _are_ still quite a few guys around who are virgins, but they rarely advertise it. As for Eomer being one of them, the idea came out of someone suggesting them having secrets that get found out, and that worked for him. My thought is more that circumstances have kept him that way rather than any real disinclination to be with a woman. Also, he seems like a very intense guy and a lot of his focus has been on defending his country - from attacks outside (orcs, etc.) and within (Grima/Saruman). And for someone like him, I think that would be an extremely embarrassing thing to have anyone know.

ForeverFaramir - Yes, Danwen is a bit like Endara (I just read that a few days ago, and I see you just updated it), but I think Endara is more evil. Danwen is a troublemaker and hoping to scare off this woman of Gondor and have a clear shot, not realizing that even if Lothiriel disappeared, Eomer probably still wouldn't like her. Personally, I think Endara would beat the snot out of Danwen, so locking them in a room really wouldn't be a fair fight!

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur, and others - Don't know why, but the last two weekends, this website hasn't updated, posted, sent e-mail updates with any real consistency. Last weekend I didn't see some weekend reviews show up until Monday even though they were already posted on the website! So I understand your frustrations with not knowing when something has changed. That's also why some of you didn't get a response with the Ch. 3 posting. There were only 8 of 17 reviews posted for me to see when I did the update. My stats page told me there were 17 but I couldn't see them to know what they said.

Blue Eyes At Night - the secret to fast updating is to write the entire story before you post any of it! Then all you have to do is add reviewer responses or notes and post the next chapter!

Elwen of Lorien - There are 9 chapters total, so there are still 5 more after this one. And, actually, the best way to get me to update really fast is lots of reviews! Even if I just posted a new chapter, when I read the reviews, I want to respond to people so I do that in the next chapter and then I'm too impatient to not post it right away... Ah well, patience is NOT my strong point!

MexicanDevil-RoadCrew - (me, pouting) You...you...you aren't clamoring anymore, little mass! I'm heartbroken! (just kidding) You are right that more could have been done with some of the themes, but my problem was in the time frame I had set for myself. I develop the idea that winter snows prevents E/L from marrying before mid-March. Lothiriel and family leave Edoras, after Theoden's funeral and staying awhile longer, close to the end of Aug. Winter is usually at least Dec, Jan, Feb (esp. in mountains), so that only left me Sept, Oct and Nov to work with. With the idea that Eowyn/Faramir would marry near the end of Oct. and then Eomer visit Dol Amroth for 2 weeks, that puts him going home in mid-Nov to late-Nov to beat the worst snows (there were probably already some by then). There had to be time for Danwen to hit on Eomer, get the brush off, decide to write to Lothiriel about it, the letter to arrive and Lothiriel to get to Edoras. That put her in Edoras around Sept 24-25 by my count. They leave Edoras around Oct 18 to go to Minas Tirith for Eowyn's wedding. That didn't leave a whole lot of time to develop the Danwen idea or the Kialmar idea for any drawn out period. If I had had several months of good weather, even if they were in separate towns/countries, there still would have been easier communication to pursue it longer. As for Eomer's embarrassment, well, I just kind of felt that needed to be quickly resolved, but maybe it could have dragged on longer. I just didn't want a rift between them when things started happening with Kialmar so that Lothiriel would be oblivious to what the problem was.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Didn't want to keep you hanging too long, esp. since the website is being a little random about updates and notifications, so no telling how long between when I post this and when you actually can read it.**

Beornthryth - Yes, the collapsing female is a bit cliche, though hopefully my purpose and use of it won't be quite so. (see below)

Jazzcat - "Will it fade once they begin to trust each other more?" - Personally, I don't think that it will fade so much as just mellow a bit. Lothiriel actually trusts Eomer rather implicitly - but she still wasn't going to let another woman near him with amorous intentions. Eomer is a bit more intense here, as in other things. He trusts Lothiriel, but he's so totally in love that he's desperately afraid of losing her. Overwork and exhaustion weren't helping matters. But I would expect him to relax a bit after they are married and the possibility of losing her lessens.

Didn't see "My Best Friend's Wedding" so I don't know how they compare. After the non-courtship these two had, I couldn't just let them walk traditionally down the road to the altar. This pair could never be that boring!

**By The Book**

Chapter 5

When next I opened my eyes, it was to find Eomer sitting at my bedside, my hand anxiously clutched between his and relief flooding his face.

"Water?" I rasped, and he released my hand long enough to pour me a goblet. He helped me sit up enough to take a few swallows, before I indicated I'd had enough and lay back down. My whole body was achy and felt weighted down, and it was an effort just to move. I couldn't seem to think very clearly either.

I blinked several times, trying to remember where I was and what was going on. I gave Eomer a perplexed look and asked, "What happened…we were going riding…"

He smiled gently, "We never made it. You have not awakened for eight days." The look in his eyes told me what an ordeal it had been for him.

"I am sorry, my love. What is wrong with me?"

"You were bitten by a poisonous insect and had a strong reaction to it. You can thank Lissa for saving you. If she had not told us about the insect, Aragorn might have been too late to save you." His voice broke, and I squeezed his hand.

I lay silently a moment and then it registered what he had said, "Eight days! Noooo...what about Dol Amroth?"

He reached over and stroked my cheek, "Another time perhaps. For now, you just worry about getting well, and we will enjoy one another's company in Minas Tirith."

"But I wasted so much of our time together!" I wailed.

"It could not be helped. And at least you are alive so that we may eventually spend all the time we want together after we are married." He gave me a teasing grin and then feigned a hurt expression, "Do not worry. I do not for a moment think you did this on purpose to avoid being with me – truly I don't..."

I smiled in spite of myself, but whispered, "But I so wanted to show you my home." My disappointment was evident, and he leaned over to kiss me lightly on the lips.

"One day you will, dearest. I promise it will happen. Now rest while I go get Aragorn and let him know you are awake, and tell your family the good news." He rose, reluctantly releasing my hand.

My room was soon full of family and King Elessar joined them a few moments later. He was pleased with my progress and instructed me on what I needed to do for the next several days as I recuperated. They could see, however, that I was still weary and needed to rest, so they all left but Eomer. His own exhaustion was evident and my hand caressed his face as he leaned near me. After a moment's thought, I shifted over to the side of the bed away from him and gestured for him to join me. He hesitated at first, but was loath to leave me, so apparently he decided if he stayed on top of the covers and fully clothed no one would think anything improper had taken place. He settled down beside me and quickly dozed off with his arm across me. And I nodded out a short time later.

Over the next few days, I gradually grew stronger and was able to sit up, then leave my bed for short periods. When at last I felt up to it, I ventured outside with Eomer anxiously at my elbow. I made for the garden where we had spent such a pleasant afternoon the day after we met, and we settled under the same tree as before. We talked for quite awhile, and I told him much of my home by the sea since I was not going to be able to show it to him. Eventually, we ended up asleep, my head against his shoulder.

We were awakened some time later by Faramir. He had always been the only one who ever seemed to know where to look for me.

"Wake up, you two!" he said shaking my shoulder.

I blinked my eyes open and looked at him curiously. "Cousin? What is it?" I rubbed the sleep dust from my eyes and yawned.

He smiled affectionately at me and answered, as Eomer slowly awakened as well, "I have discovered in my reading that in the past, when Gondor previously had kings, it was the common practice to have the King of Gondor bless all royal betrothals, including those of other realms. When the kings disappeared, naturally the practice ended, but since we have a king now and since he was not present in Rohan for your betrothal, I thought you might like to be the first to reinstate the practice."

I glanced at Eomer and answered, "I suppose we could. King Elessar does not mind doing this?"

"Not at all. He thinks it a good idea also."

I shrugged and held out my hand for him to help me up. Eomer rose with me and I glanced at our casual attire. "Should we go change clothes? Do I need to find my family and Eowyn?"

"No, come as you are. This will not be terribly formal. I do not think we need to find your families since they were all present for the betrothal anyway. I just thought this was something you might want to do since you are disappointed in not getting to take Eomer to Dol Amroth. I know it won't make up for that, but maybe it helps a little."

I narrowed my eyes and said, "Why is it I get the feeling you are not telling me something?"

He smiled noncommittally, "Must just be your suspicious nature, Thiri. What I have told you is the truth."

Still, I had the feeling that even if his words were strictly true, they did not tell everything. Faramir could play at words as well as I could when he wanted to. But I did not think he would do anything mean to me, just recovering from illness, so I laid aside my wariness and we followed him to the King's council chambers.

It was a simple ceremony, and almost seemed more of a binding than a blessing, but lovely nonetheless. Only the two of us, Faramir and the King and Queen were present. Afterwards, the King and Queen kissed both Eomer and I and wished us well, assuring us they were looking forward to the wedding in March.

The more I thought about it later, the more I was glad we had gone through with the ceremony. Though I was content with being married in Rohan, it was nice to have the blessing of my own king as well.

Too soon the week was ending and Eomer would have to return to Rohan. I could see that Miren was also saddened at the prospect of Kialmar and Lissa leaving. At least this time, I would have someone else as anxious as me to hear news of Rohan. Perhaps having such would make it easier to bear the months apart we were facing.

I knew the snows would make it difficult for messengers to get through, so I could not expect to send or receive as many letters as I had previously. Before we even parted, I started writing some letters to Eomer. I know it was silly, but I wanted him to have some to take with him and read until more could be sent.

The day of our parting was overcast and gloomy, which suited my mood perfectly. We would still be staying in Minas Tirith another few days, so I spent the morning helping Eomer get packed. To my surprise, he seemed to ignore a sizeable chest sitting on a desk. "What about this?" I asked. "You need to put it with your other belongings."

He shook his head and turned to me with a sheepish grin, "That is for you. I will take it to your room before I leave."

Curious I asked, "What is in it?" I reached for the lid, but he playfully slapped my hand.

"You may open it only after I am gone! It is a surprise!"

I gave him a questioning look but made no further attempts. Still, it held my attention the rest of the time I was there. The servants began carrying his trunks out, and he picked up the chest and took my hand, leading me down the hall. We dropped the chest in my room and then continued on, but he detoured to our spot in the garden. Once there, he wrapped his arms around me and held me in a tight embrace. "I will miss you," he whispered. "But when next we meet, we will wed and can stay together forever. That thought will keep me warm until then."

I could feel my tears starting, and was grateful he had sought seclusion for our farewell. I clung to him, my arms tightly around his waist. It took a few moments for me to gain enough control to respond, "I love you, and I will wait however long it takes, but I will not like the waiting!"

And then we were kissing, almost in desperation, as if to imprint the memory indelibly on our hearts. When we finally broke apart, I could feel myself shaking all over. I had not realized just how wrenching it would be to let him part from me again. I drew a ragged breath, knowing there was no escaping the inevitable, and managed to fix him with a weak grin. "I expect you to keep your hands off Danwen in my absence," I chided. "Amrothos told Eowyn all about her to enlist her help in keeping an eye on you when I wasn't there, but I had to point out to him that she wouldn't be there either. So you will have to keep an eye on yourself!"

He rested his forehead against mine and assured me, "Unless Danwen can transform herself into you, she holds no attraction for me. I will not be content with anyone but you in my arms."

It was Faramir who found us again. "I know it is not what you want to hear, but everyone is waiting for the King of Rohan to put in appearance so the group may depart for Edoras," he told us quietly. And then he was gone again.

Reluctantly, we moved apart and walked hand in hand from the garden. Our steps were like those of a condemned man going to the gallows, but no matter how slowly we walked, we eventually reached the assembled group of horses and riders.

Eowyn hurried forward to bid her brother a tearful farewell, and Faramir stood behind her. After giving his sister a warm embrace, Eomer eyed Faramir sternly, "I am counting on you to take good care of her...make her happy."

Faramir wrapped his arms around his wife and smiled, "That, dear brother, I do with the greatest pleasure." He kissed her head and added, "Do not fear. I will cherish her always." Eomer simply nodded in response, not at all surprised by the reply.

Next he turned to bid the King and Queen farewell, before turning again to me. Miren stepped to my side and pressed a packet of letters into my hands – the ones I had already written to Eomer. I blushed slightly in embarrassment, "I know it is a bit ridiculous of me, but I have already written you several letters." I handed him the packet. He took it with a strange expression on his face that I did not recognize. "What?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Nothing. You will find out soon enough. But I thank you for these. I will be glad to have them on the journey home." After a moment, he lifted his eyes and stepped toward me. Kissing my forehead, he whispered, "Soon."

Through my tears, I nodded and managed to answer, "Soon."

He turned quickly away, and I knew that lingering would only make it more difficult for him so I did not try to stop him. As they began their journey through the streets of Minas Tirith, I sought a vantage point on the wall. There I remained until they were so far distant that I could no longer be sure if I was seeing them or not.

Miren had remained with me, keeping silent the entire time, but as I rose, she moved forward and slipped her arm through mine. Without a word, she led me back to my room and suggested I rest before the noon meal.

I did lay down for a bit, but when I turned on my side, my eyes fell on the chest that Eomer had given me. Open it after he was gone, he'd said. Well, he was gone, so I guess it was safe to do so now. Curiously, I stood and moved over to look at the container. The chest itself had beautiful workmanship, and I could tell it was of Gondorian design so he must have gotten it here. Anxious, now, to know what he had given me, I lifted the lid and saw a pile of folded papers. One on top had my name on it, so I assumed I should read it first, and perhaps get an answer.

As I read Eomer's note, I began to laugh. No wonder he had given me such a strange look! The chest was filled with letters he had written to me! He began writing when I was taken ill, even though he could not be certain I would ever have the opportunity to read them. But it had helped fill the long hours of waiting and hoping for my recovery, and he had continued it after the cure was found so that I could keep a little part of him when he had to return home.

For the next hour I sat and read his letters. When Miren came looking for me to make sure that I ate, I showed her what he had done and she smiled softly, "Then I suppose you would like me to bring you a meal here. I will return shortly." And I continued reading.

There must have been nearly a hundred letters or so, but I did not take time to count them, only to read and reread them. I finally had to set them aside when it was suppertime, for I knew my family would become concerned if I were not to put in appearance. So I carefully replaced the missives in the chest, and added his earlier letters written to me in Dol Amroth to the treasured collection.


	6. Chapter 6

**See! I told you I was impatient. Didn't you believe me?**

**A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger with Ch. 4. I don't always remember where a "chapter" begins and ends, so if I post without glancing through it to see, it can leave the reader hanging on the edge. Since I already know what happens, I don't think about it until I hear the uproar of anguished cries... I don't think there are any more of those, if that's any consolation.**

**_By the way, if you have read Eye of the Beholder and The Truest Friends, I am considering a sequel to one or both. 'Friends' would be easiest since there is so much that can be done with an OC like Kareswen, but many wanted to see more of 'Eye'. The only trouble with that, is that Lothiriel is so very different than this Lothiriel so it is more difficult to come up with situations for her that work. Any story ideas are welcome and will be considered. As with this story, you never know what you may prompt me to write!_**

Jazzcat - By the way, I never heard whether or not you liked the end of The Truest Friends. So? (It's okay if you didn't...) Anyway, Eomer will get to Dol Amroth some day...

**By The Book **

Chapter 6

We had been home from Minas Tirith for a week – a very long, miserable week. How was I ever going to last three months and twenty-five days, approximately, until I saw him again? I started each day reading Eomer's letters, and I ended each day the same way. And often spent time in between doing likewise.

I had written many more letters since last I saw Eomer. A messenger was sent from Minas Tirith and I had given him more than two dozen letters. Since then I had written even more, and just yesterday Father had finally been persuaded to send a rider with my bundle. I wanted to get as many sent as possible before the snows made it too difficult for anyone to make the trip.

One rider had come from Rohan already, bearing the news that they had safely reached home and that I had gained a new ally. Eomer told me that Gamling had caught on to what had been transpiring with Danwen and now took it upon himself to keep her as far away from the king as possible whenever possible. At court functions, she was seated far away from him and any time Gamling saw her making her way toward Eomer, he would seek out the king on 'urgent business' and regretfully pull him away. He hadn't actually said anything to Eomer about what he was doing or why, but Eomer thought it clear the man had already chosen who he thought should be queen of Rohan and was merely showing his allegiance. I had always rather liked Gamling, but this bit of information made me even fonder of him!

And so time dragged on. For me, each day seemed much like the previous and slowly I was resigning myself that it must be endured. Faramir and Eowyn came for a week's visit in early December and that provided some distraction, though the sight of Eowyn inevitably made me think of Eomer and then I'd start missing him all over again.

The day after they arrived dawned much the same as any other day. There was nothing remarkable going on around me and certainly nothing to warn me of the upheaval headed my way.

At mid-morning, I was reading in my room – Eomer's letters yet again – when there was a knock at my door. I opened it to find Faramir, a worried expression on his face. "Cousin? Is something the matter?" I asked.

He came into the room, taking both my hands in his and led me over to be seated on the edge of my bed. It took him several minutes to decide what he wanted to say, but finally he said softly, "Thiri, I know this will come as a shock to you, but you have a visitor downstairs."

That didn't seem so unusual as to cause this kind of reaction, so I waited for him to continue with more of an explanation. He rubbed his face before finally telling me, "There is no easy way to say this. It is Ardrion. He is alive."

For several moments, the words simply did not register, and when they did, they made no sense. How could Ardrion be downstairs when he had died at sea some three years ago?

Faramir sensed my struggle to grasp what he was saying and told me, "I do not know the particulars of how it is that he survived, or where he has been since we believed him lost but, nevertheless, he is downstairs and asking to see you."

Shock seemed too mild a word for what I was feeling. When I was seventeen, I had fallen in love with a young man of Dol Amroth and we desperately wanted to marry. Father insisted that I must wait until my nineteenth year to wed, so we resigned ourselves to that. But a year later, while at sea serving with the royal navy, his ship went down and all hands were lost. I grieved for a long time. I even waited for a long time, hoping against hope that he had survived and would return to me. But eventually I had been forced to accept that he was not coming back, and over the years I had made peace with his loss. Now for him to return, almost rising from the dead, was too much to take in.

"Thiri?" Faramir asked softly, "Are you up to this?"

"I suppose I must be." I rose slowly and Faramir took my arm to walk with me. I appreciated the comfort in his touch and his very presence. I was going to need his steady influence beside me to get through this...

When I entered the library, he was seated talking to Amrothos. They both rose as we put in appearance. Despite the years, I could tell that it was indeed Ardrion. This was no mistake. He gave me the lopsided grin that I remembered so well and said, "Hello, Thiri. It is good to see you again."

It was clear he was feeling nervous about this meeting, possibly as much as I was. I finally managed, "It is good to see you, too, Ardrion. How is it that you come to be here? We had reports that all on your ship perished."

We were still standing, and he gestured for me to sit while he explained. Faramir, bless him, sat down beside me and kept hold of my hand. And we listened as Ardrion told us of his washing up on the shore, his memory gone. Someone had found him and tended his injuries, but he knew not where he came from or anything about his former life. So he stayed with his benefactor and did odd jobs to support himself.

Then two months ago, he was taken ill with a fever. When the healer was finally able to cure him, he found his memory had come back to him. He was living some distance from Dol Amroth, but it was more uncertainty about what he would find here than the miles that kept him from returning sooner.

As he finished his tale, he looked eagerly at me and said, "But I could not stay away from you, Thiri. Now you are old enough and we can be married, as we always planned!"

In truth, it had never occurred to me since this all began to think it would end at that logical conclusion. We had loved, and we had planned to marry, but now three years later to be faced with that prospect when I had not seen or heard from him in all that time was overwhelming.

Faramir stepped in at that point and replied, "I think it is a bit early to plan the future when Lothiriel is still trying to take in that you are alive. Why don't you come back tomorrow, after she has had some time to adjust to all this?"

I was never more grateful for my cousin than at that moment. I could tell Ardrion was a bit disappointed, but I did need time to think about everything and sort out my feelings. He nodded reluctantly and rose, "Of course. I understand, Thiri. I will see you tomorrow, dearest."

I smiled and watched him leave, thinking how odd it felt to have this 'stranger' using endearments with me. And he did feel like a stranger to me after all this time. As soon as he was gone, I turned and hastily retreated to my room. If anyone intended to follow, they did not. Possibly Faramir headed them off in order to give me some time in private.

Once alone in my room, I flung myself down on the bed. As I did, my hand hit something and I glanced down. I picked up the letter from Eomer I had been reading when Faramir came to get me, and as I stared at it I let out a soft groan. Eomer! How was I going to explain all this to him?

Miren brought me a tray of food when I did not put in appearance at noon, but I barely touched it. She did the same for supper, but I simply had no appetite as I tried to sort everything out.

About an hour after she had brought me my food, Amrothos put in appearance. I was inclined to turn him away, but maybe talking about the situation would help me find some answers, so I let him in. He sprawled in his usual spot across the foot of my bed and eyed me questioningly. When I said nothing he commented, "Well, you certainly were the main topic of conversation at supper. Sorry you missed it."

"I am sure I was. What did everyone decide?" I asked.

"Hmmm, well, Father, Elphir and Erchirion all think it a bit presumptuous of Ardrion to put in appearance and expect you to marry him as though nothing had happened. Faramir, as usual, is trying to see all sides of the issue before reaching a conclusion. And Eowyn, though she did not say so specifically, appears to be rather upset at the thought that you might dump her brother in favor of Ardrion."

"And what about you?" I challenged.

He smiled at me, "I think you will do what is best for you and that it is not my business to decide that for you. I liked Ardrion and I like Eomer, but only you know who you want to spend the rest of your life with, Thiri."

Sometimes that fool brother of mine could be pretty darn...special. Leave it to him to simply cut to the heart of the matter.

I lay back against my pillows and stared at the ceiling. Softly I admitted, "Some part of me cared deeply for Ardrion, even loved him, and it still does. I had not thought about him in quite awhile, but to have him right there in front of me, looking and sounding just like I remember him..."

He climbed to his feet and moved up beside me. Bending down, he kissed my forehead, "Try to get some rest. And do not rush into any decisions. Ardrion has taken three years to return to you. You do not have to decide things overnight." And with that, he was gone and I was still staring at the ceiling.

xxxxx

I must have fallen asleep while I lay there, for when I awoke, it was morning and I was still in my clothes. The only conclusion I reached was that I was not going to decide anything in haste. Amrothos was right. This was too important to rush into. And so, for the next few weeks, Ardrion and I spent time together getting reacquainted.

I did not think it fair to him to conceal the fact that I was betrothed to Eomer. But he seemed to read into my willingness to spend time with him the possibility that I would break that off if I found I still loved him.

I knew Eomer would be upset by this turn of events and, in a cowardly fashion, I had not yet managed to write and tell him. I told myself I wanted to reach a decision before mentioning it, but I knew I was just afraid, though I wasn't entirely clear what exactly I was afraid of.

The more time I spent with Ardrion, the more we easily fell back into old patterns. I found I remembered much about him and his ways, and he seemed to be having the same experience with me. We still liked many of the same things and we still had the same sense of humor. We walked and we talked, and I still had no firm answers to the many questions running through my mind.

I sorely missed having Faramir there to talk to, since he was the best at helping me clarify my thinking. Eowyn had not mentioned what was happening, but I saw her watching me many times, and she never looked like she approved when Ardrion would come to call. I could not blame her for her reaction, and it made me feel quilty whenever I was around her. In that sense, it was a relief when they had returned to Minas Tirith a week ago.

Amrothos tried to be supportive, but remained noncommittal about what choice I should make. That wasn't always what I wanted from him.

During the third week since his return, Ardrion and I were returning to the palace to warm up on a blustery, chill winter day. We hurried up the long avenue leading to the palace gates, laughing and talking.

We were brought up short by a group of riders at the palace gates, conversing with the guards. My stomach seized up when I recognized the banner of Rohan and then, almost in slow motion, I watched Eomer turn his head and spot us. I came to a halt and stood rooted to the spot, barely daring to breathe. Eomer just sat looking at me and Ardrion, his eyes dark and his expression indecipherable.

Ardrion, I think, was slowly beginning to realize who this was before us, so he stood straighter and edged toward me, grasping my arm more firmly. That was enough to shake me from my stupor and, finally, I turned and told him, "I will say goodbye to you here. We will talk tomorrow."

At first I think he was going to argue, but after another glance at Eomer, he nodded. Then, before I realized what he was about to do, he leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Until tomorrow, then." He gave Eomer a look of slight defiance and strode away.

My face was flaming and I hastily sought to bring myself under control. I walked toward the guards, who presented the Rohan group and advised they had come unexpectedly for a visit. "Have someone see that their horses are stabled and find quarters for the men. I will escort King Eomer to the palace." They nodded and moved to their task as Eomer dismounted. Without a word, he followed me inside.

I led him to a guest room and sent a servant to see that his belongings were brought there. As I turned to leave, he caught me by the arm and shoved the door closed. His grip on my arm was painful and I flinched a bit. He noticed and released his hold, but stood angrily watching me. I think he was fighting for restraint before speaking, and then managed, "Talk to me, Lothiriel. What is going on here, and why did I hear about it from Eowyn instead of from you? Or were you not going to tell me about Ardrion?"

Since all this began, I had thought over and over what I might say to Eomer and how I might explain about Ardrion. But in all my thinking, I always envisioned doing it in a letter, not looking into his eyes that made no effort to hide his anger...and hurt.

Before I could form a response, the servants returned bearing his baggage, so I caught his hand and led him from the room. We walked in silence, climbing to the uppermost floor of the palace and ending up in the solarium. It was one of my favorite rooms because of the view in every direction, but today my mind could not focus on scenery and Eomer showed little interest either.

I released his hand and moved away from him, trying to formulate an explanation. Apparently he grew impatient with waiting and asked softly, "Why, Thiri?"

I sat down abruptly in an overstuffed chair and stared at my hands. Slowly I told him of my past relationship with Ardrion, his supposed death and unexpected return three weeks ago.

"So what are you saying?" he challenged. "Do you want me to release you from our betrothal?"

"No!" I blurted out, then stopped. I waved my hands in frustration, as if I was trying to pull coherent thoughts out of the air. "I do not know what I want – at least not yet! I have been spending time with him to try and determine if I still have feelings for him. Do you not see? It would not be fair to you for me to marry you until I am certain I do not still care for someone else."

Even to my own ears, my plea sounded selfish and cruel. I could only imagine how it sounded to Eomer. There was a long period of silence and I didn't dare look at him. Then suddenly he was in front of me and pulled me to my feet, catching me about the waist with one hand and cupping my neck with the other. Looking intently in my eyes he said, "Know this, Thiri. I love you, and I always will. I want you to be happy – with me...or with anyone who can make you so. But know that I love you and I want you for my wife!"

And with that he pulled me into a kiss so deep and passionate that my knees went weak. There was nothing in all of Middle Earth but the two of us and his lips claiming mine. When finally we had to come up for air, I was shaking all over and leaned weakly against his chest.

Tremulously I whispered, "I do love you, Eomer, but I have to resolve this. I know I was young then, but my feelings were strong. I have to know where my heart lies before I can make a decision."

He held me tighter, but said nothing and I listened to the steady beat of his heart. How could I risk breaking that heart which beat so true? If my preference counted for anything, I wished with all my being that I would come to find that I loved only him, and that Ardrion was in my past.

xxxxx

Unexpectedly, I was having a chance to show Eomer my home after all, though winter was not the best time for enjoying the sea. The wind in off the water could be most chilling, and usually drove us indoors after only a short time. But Eomer seemed to have a knack for kisses that warmed me clear to my toes, and the weather could not penetrate me when he was holding me in his arms.

Despite his presence, I still had to make time to see Ardrion at least once, certainly long enough to let him know what was happening. I had sent word to him the day after Eomer arrived that I would contact him later, but after almost a week, I knew I could put it off no longer.

I arranged to meet him at a secluded spot on the beach where we often went when we wanted to be alone to talk. The rocks provided shelter from the wind. He was already waiting when I arrived, and I was surprised at how nervous I felt after not seeing him for several days. I attributed it to Eomer's presence in the city and the unresolved issues that existed.

I carefully explained my situation, trying to remain as unemotional as possible, but before I finished he took the initiative. "Thiri, I love you! I always have, since first we met. And you loved me – of that I am certain. Do not let this foreigner cloud your mind on the subject! He is different, to be sure, but surely you do not wish to go so far away from your family. I understand your becoming interested in someone else when you thought I was dead, but I am alive! Now things can be as they were!" And before I knew what he intended, he swept me into an embrace and was kissing me.

We had kissed a few times when I was seventeen and it had been thrilling beyond words at the time. But we were both grown now and this kiss was different. It wasn't at all like the kisses I had shared with Eomer. For one thing, Ardrion was clean shaven and didn't have the beard and mustache that sometimes scratched and sometimes tickled my face. And Eomer's kisses were more...wild. Oh, that isn't really what I mean, it's just…Ardrion's kiss was polite and gentle and restrained. Eomer kissed me with ardor and abandon. And then, all of a sudden, it hit me. I was standing here kissing one man and comparing his kisses unfavorably to those of another man!

I pulled back from him and gazed at him in disbelief. I'm not sure he understood the look I was giving him, and he apologized for being too forward with me. I sank down onto a rock and stared at the sea. He hesitated to speak, but finally asked, "Thiri? Do you forgive me?"

My focus returned to him and I nodded, "Yes, of course." I stood and looked sadly in his eyes, "Ardrion, I realize now that I do not love you." He started to protest, but I raised a hand to his lips to silence him and continued, "I remember you fondly, but I think at seventeen I was more in love with the idea of love than anything else. If we had married then and I had never met Eomer, then perhaps I could have been happy as your wife. But my heart belongs to him now – completely. I let my guilty conscience persuade me that I might still harbor feelings for you, but I know that it is only friendship I feel. I am sorry."

He looked at me sadly, then lowered his gaze from mine. Finally, he admitted, "I think I knew that. I have enjoyed being with you these past few weeks, but it was not the same as before. Believe me when I say that I do wish you – and Eomer – every happiness." With that, he kissed my cheek, then turned and strode quickly away. Only then did I become aware of the tears streaming down my face.

Part of me thought I should feel saddened by what had just taken place, but all I could feel was elation – and an earnest desire to see Eomer as soon as possible. I took off running for the palace and skidded into the front hall, completely out of breath. When finally I could breathe enough to speak, I asked a servant if she knew where King Eomer was and she said he was in the library with Amrothos.

Hastily I headed that way and found them seated by the fire, chatting about Rohan. Both looked up at my entrance, and each raised an eyebrow at my flushed face and rapid breathing. Before either could speak, I said quietly, "Get out, Amrothos." My eyes never left Eomer as I moved slowly toward him.

Amrothos stood, saying, "I am not sure it is a good idea for me to leave you two alone..."

But Eomer seemed to sense my purpose and reiterated, "Get out, Amrothos."

With a chuckle, my brother sauntered to the door, calling casually over his shoulder, "Alright, I will go – but see that you restrict yourselves to smooching or Father will have my neck!"

Eomer made to stand, but I pushed him back into his chair and took a seat on his lap. He was in no doubt where I was headed and met my kiss halfway. As Amrothos put it, we did a lot of 'smooching' then. And when we needed a brief rest, I spoke aloud what my lips had been trying to convey; that I loved him, and only him, and if he still wanted me I would gladly become his wife. From the look in his eyes, I knew we were speaking the same language and he did not mistake my meaning. I was glad to see the guarded look disappear from his face, and I made a mental note to try never to do anything to cause its return.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey! Come on - why's everybody so surprised about all the "wrenches"? Didn't I tell you in the summary their road to the wedding was going to be bumpy!

Jazzcat - Ardrion and Danwen? Maybe. If either is willing to relocate! Just so long as they give up their fixation with the unattainable! (see bottom of chapter for another note)

**By The Book**

Chapter 7

Unfortunately my reconciliation with Eomer meant he had to return to Rohan. His advisers had argued against his coming in the first place, both because they needed him there and because of the weather, but he would not listen to their pleas on the matter. Forgoing the trappings of King, he and his escort had traveled fast and light in order to make the trip as swiftly as possible.

And, so, we found ourselves saying goodbye yet again. I was learning to hate farewells tremendously, for they wrenched at me more every time I had to do it.

I stood in his room, watching while he closed his last bag and sent it with a servant to be packed. Then he turned to me and put his hands on my shoulders. For awhile, neither of us spoke, but then he said quietly, "Since you warned me to stay away from Danwen when last we parted, I think it only fair that I insist you stay away from Ardrion!"

I smiled reluctantly and told him, "Do not be silly, my love. My supposed involvement with Ardrion was nothing more than a ploy to see you again before March!"

He chuckled, "I almost believe that! Do you have other plans for January and February, or are you still working out the details?"

"I think Father is beginning to be suspicious. I may have to curtail my stratagems now. Though, if a good enough opportunity presents itself, I will not hesitate to take advantage of it!"

He smiled and rested his forehead against mine, "I trust your wisdom in such matters, but, please, no more former lovers threatening to take you from me. I could not bear to lose you."

"Nor I, you. But you should know that even when I was uncertain what my feelings were for Ardrion, I very much _wanted_ them to be nothing more than friendship and to know that my heart was truly and completely yours."

He held me closer and we stood tightly wrapped in each other's arms. Finally, with a sigh, he whispered, "I must go. Everyone will be waiting and it is not the kind of day I wish to make them sit out in."

Before he could pull away, I reached for him and caught his lips in a kiss. As the kiss slowly ended, I murmured, "Let that keep you warm on your journey, my love."

And, too soon, I was watching him ride away. Once again my long vigil began.

A few days after their departure, I noticed, not for the first time, that Miren seemed to be smiling to herself a lot lately. I finally took the opportunity to ask her about it, and she happily confided that Kialmar, on this visit, had expressed an attraction to her and a desire to court her. She had not been at all averse to the idea, and I rejoiced with her in her happiness. But at least this knowledge drew us closer and gave us each someone to help us through this trying period of waiting.

We did not get a lot of snow in Dol Amroth, so it was difficult to remind myself that messengers between Rohan and our city would be hampered by such, even though I knew it to be true. Despite the circumstances of his visit, Eomer had brought me more letters to add to my collection, and once again I fell into the habit of starting, ending and enjoying during my day reading through them. I had not written any letters during the time between Ardrion's arrival and Eomer's departure, so now I resumed writing with a vengeance, determined to laden every courier with as many as possible.

Amrothos came upon me while I was writing one such letter and eyed the pile of letters from Eomer that I had beside me. "What could Eomer possibly have to write in that many letters? Surely his life is not _that_ eventful!"

I leaned back and smiled at him, "No, it is not. He does not just write about what is going on in his life, but he tells me about himself – what he likes and dislikes, the things he enjoys doing, stories of his life and his growing up years."

Amrothos slouched in a chair and gazed sorrowfully at me, "Are you sure you really want to marry him and move so far away, Thiri? It will be dreadfully dull without you around here."

"I will miss you, too," I answered quietly, "but, yes, I very much want to marry him. Though I am sorry Rohan is so far from home. However, it will give you an excuse to come visit, and I expect you to do so often – but no sooner than six months after my wedding!"

"Why no sooner?" he asked, giving me a suspicious look.

"Because, dear brother, I know you too well! I want Eomer to myself for at least that long before I have to put up with you trying to keep us apart just to torment me! And once we are married, we plan on doing a lot more than just 'smooching'!"

He rarely does, but even Amrothos blushed at that.

"There is a partial solution to the problem," I added.

He raised a questioning eyebrow and waited for me to continue.

"Find yourself a wife and then you will not miss me so much, though you will likely be appalled at the thought of Eomer doing with your sister what you will be doing with your wife!"

He laughed, and blushed even redder at the suggestion, but smiled longingly, "I would be very happy if I could find someone who would love me as you do Eomer, and vice versa. It just has not been my lot to discover her yet. Perhaps she lives in Rohan and I will meet her on one of my visits. Then I can move there and live next door to you and Eomer and annoy you on a regular basis!"

We chortled together, but then I fixed him with a serious expression, "Oh, my dear Amrothos, I think I will miss you most of all."

Not unexpectedly, he hastily stood, both embarrassed and pleased by my sentiment, and declared, "Well, now I _am_ leaving if you are going to start that!" He strode quickly to the door but gave me a fond look before closing it between us.

xxxxx

I think I had almost convinced myself that March would never come – that Sauron had somehow managed to destroy it before his demise just to torture me. But, to my great pleasure and my great horror, it did finally arrive. And suddenly all the time I had to prepare was gone and I was frantically trying to get ready. Miren and I seemed to work from sun up to sun down, sorting through our belongings and packing any we did not need before or during the trip. I feared we would not be ready in time, but the morning of our departure, found us making a final hasty check and discovering we had indeed completed all the tasks on our lists.

We were scheduled to travel to Minas Tirith and join with a party from there for the journey to Rohan. The party of nobles making this visit was not quite so large as for Theoden's funeral, no doubt owing partly to the fact that the King of Rohan was no longer available. Even so, it was a sizeable group, since many of the nobles looked for any opportunity to socialize with royalty.

I had written to Eowyn in December, after Eomer left Dol Amroth, and explained the situation to her. I was relieved when she had completely forgiven me my confused feelings. I liked Eowyn a great deal and did not want there to be unpleasantness with her.

As we passed the border into Rohan, I found myself actually getting a little nervous. I had long awaited my wedding day and now it seemed to be coming much too fast and out of control. But I was certain about Eomer and wanting to marry him, and reassured myself that once the wedding was out of the way, things would be easier.

The weather cooperated for the early part of the trip, but as our second week on the road began we were met with heavy rains that stalled us for a few days. At last they let up and we were able to dry out a bit and resume our journey. I hoped that would be the last obstacle to our reaching Edoras, but it was not to be. When we were still a day away from the city, we were attacked by a party of some twenty-five orcs. With soldiers the like of King Elessar, Faramir and my own father and brothers in our midst, they were quickly routed, but not before damaging some wagons and possessions, and setting the whole company on edge.

All were glad when finally we spotted Edoras in the distance the next day, and a party of Rohirrim rode out to meet us and escort us in. Gamling quickly had everyone settled in their rooms, but I did not have much opportunity to speak with Eomer until after supper.

Faramir had engaged the two of us in conversation and began walking away from the assembled host, without our even realizing it. When we were off to the side and not so readily noticed, he ended the conversation, gave me an amused grin and excused himself. At first I was puzzled by his peculiar behavior, but Eomer caught on more quickly and seized my hand to lead me to his study before anyone spotted us.

At last we were alone and in each other's arms. As he held me, he said, "I hear there was trouble on the road. Are you alright?"

I nodded and sighed, "It seems, in addition to everything else, both nature and orcs conspire to keep us apart!"

He smiled, then asked quietly, "Do you take it to be a sign that we should not be together?"

I looked up into his eyes, that were reserved, yet hopeful, about my response. "I take it to be a sign that you and I will do wonderful things as the King and Queen of Rohan, and our children will do equally wonderful things. The forces of evil do not want that to happen, but I will not be dissuaded! Make no mistake about it, I _will_ be your wife!"

He smiled, with relief and amusement, "Good! We have had such difficulty getting here that I was a little afraid you might not think it worth all the trouble."

I understood his feelings, and the troubles we had faced were daunting, but we loved each other and I was certain he did not wish to turn aside from our course any more than I did. Glancing up at him with a wily grin, I answered, "But I _must_ marry you, Eomer." His eyes narrowed and I continued, "If I do not, how can I ever hope to see you barefoot in a skirt?"

He laughed heartily, and wiped tears away as he choked out, "If that is what is required to get you to go through with this wedding, then I do solemnly promise, you shall see me so!"

Alas, Gamling put in appearance and apologetically drew us back to the gathering, and so arm in arm, we returned to our guests.

As the evening wore on, I was looking forward to its end, and either getting to bed or finding an opportunity to slip away with Eomer and stay up very late talking and 'smooching'. As I lost myself in daydreams about the possibilities of that, I felt a nudge on my arm and turned to find Faramir standing beside me.

"So," he asked, "have you found any time to read that book I gave you last fall?"

I gave him a rueful look and confessed, "Not really. I glanced through it, but have not really spent much time with it."

He nodded, a bemused expression on his face. Finally, he said quietly, giving me an intriguing grin, "I really think you will want to read it – sooner rather than later!" And with that cryptic remark he sauntered away, leaving me to wonder what he was up to.

At last the party broke up and I could go to my room, Eomer having been waylaid by the men and dragged into a night of drinking and boasting. I knew my vague hopes of a romantic liaison in the moonlight were not likely to come to fruition.

As I undressed, my eyes fell on the book Faramir had given me. It was on various customs and traditions of different lands, with chapters about both Gondor and Rohan. I had flipped through the pages and it did look interesting, but I always seemed to find more important things to occupy my time and had never settled down to read it in earnest. I pulled it closer and turned to the listing of chapters, wondering what Faramir was so anxious to have me read.

Though I had been tired a moment before and inclined to get right into bed, my curiosity overcame me and I sat down by the fire and began to read. I dozed off at some point and when I awoke, I closed the book and climbed into bed.

**Jazzcat** - The reason I had Truest Friends end that way was to show Kareswen feeling vulnerable. She has always been in control, decisive and self-assured about everything until that point. Taking this step, even as much as she loves Eomer, scares her to death. And she hasn't had much experience with men, so having walked out on him, she isn't sure he will want her back. At any rate, for certain the Haradrim will have a part in any sequel. There's a lot that can be done with that and it was left totally open-ended. But like you said, she isn't apt to settle in as little Miss-Nice-Traditional-Queen anytime soon.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Replies to reviewers:**

Blue Eyes At Night - Eomer actually in a skirt? Now, would I do that!

Jazzcat - "evil plots"? What evil plots? This has just been the usual day to day stuff everyone goes through as they prepare to marry someone...

As for your question (from elsewhere) - maybe, maybe not! See below and see if you still think that!

I like Amrothos in this too. It's been fun writing him and his relationship with Lothiriel. She's just saying those things to him to tease him - he's usually doing it to her so she needed a chance to fight back. And guys are funny that way - they want to "do" certain things with their girlfriends that they'd kill any guy who even suggested doing it to their sister! And just like parents, sisters aren't allowed to know anything about sex.

As for the "swear word" in Truest Friends- that's it. I only put it in to show her extreme frustration, but probably I should try to find some ME equivalent instead that would fit better.

**By The Book**

Chapter 8

The next morning I slept in a bit and no one disturbed me. As I dressed, I spotted the book and sat down to finish the chapter I had been reading.

Less than an hour later, I set it aside and went in search of food. It was a couple of days before I had a chance to read more. The ladies of both Gondor and Rohan's courts seemed to claim all my free time and I was quickly learning to plaster on a smile and tune out the voices hammering away at me. It seemed I mostly only saw Eomer from a distance, and I was beginning to wonder if we would even be left alone once we were married.

When again I found a few moments to myself, reading seemed like a relaxing way to pass the time and I settled in front of the fire once again. Several hours later, I slammed the book shut. "I'll kill him!" I muttered. "He knew all along and did not tell me! I will kill him!" Then I sat back and thought for a moment. In all fairness, he _had_ repeatedly encouraged me to read the book and, despite what it said, it didn't really change the way anything could have happened.

I quickly rose and took off down the hall, in search of my cousin. I found him in the Golden Hall, and even though my ire was somewhat eased by my rational thoughts on the matter, I still swatted his arm. "Hateful man!" I exclaimed. "How could you do this to me?"

He grinned, then caught my arm and pulled me away so no one could overhear our conversation. "How much have you read? All of it, or just the King of Gondor part?"

I gave him a quizzical look, "There is more? What more could there be?"

He chuckled, "No, no – I will not tell you. Find it for yourself. I recommend having a look at the chapters dealing with Rohirric customs." Then he turned and strode away from me, his laughter drifting back over his shoulder.

I stood there fuming for a moment, then glanced at the book and made a dash back to my room to resume reading. Amrothos put in appearance at one point, asking if I wanted to go for a ride with him, but I brushed him aside to keep reading. It took over two hours, but I finished all the chapters on Rohirric customs and raised my head with furrowed eyebrows. What was I missing? Clearly there was something in them that Faramir thought I should make note of, but I did not see anything of particular import. I began browsing through the chapters again, searching for any clue.

It was almost supper time, so I finally had to lay the book aside and change. When I arrived in the Golden Hall, Faramir was already there and I hurriedly approached him. "What am I supposed to see?"

He shook his head, "No, you have to find it yourself. Come on, Thiri, I know how quick you are. Read with an eye for information you might find useful right about now. I am certain you will find a way to _use_ it advantageously." He annoyingly wiggled his eyebrows at me and moved to take his seat beside Eowyn, leaving me frustrated yet again. What was I missing?

As had happened the past three days, once supper ended, I was swarmed by well-meaning courtiers who sought to offer advice, warnings, guidance, personal stories and on and on. And just as before, it did not take long for my head to begin pounding and me to wish for nothing more than holding Eomer's hand alone in the moonlight. But he was cornered across the room, by men who seemed bent on doing much the same to him. The look on his face seemed impassive to others, but I knew him well enough to know he was merely tolerating this because he had no other choice at present.

I was beginning to think this wedding was going to kill the both of us. We had had virtually no time alone, or even to speak to one another privately, since my arrival in Edoras. Eowyn was more than willing to handle all the marriage arrangements and I was more than willing to let her, and relieve myself of that burden. But as my wedding day drew nearer, I found myself tense, tired and very unhappy. Somehow this didn't seem to be what I had expected. The wedding was in two days and I was almost dreading it – not being married to Eomer, mind you, just the wedding required to 'get there'.

Once I had tolerated the endless chatter all around me as long as I could, I feigned a headache and fatigue and the ladies readily encouraged me to go and rest so I would look my best on that 'special day'. I managed to hold the smile on my face until I was safely in the hall. I leaned against the wall, relishing my escape, then turned quickly and hurried to my room. I had some reading to do...

It was surely past midnight when I finally realized what Faramir had been trying to draw to my attention. And I lay awake at least another hour trying to figure out how I might make use of it. The thought finally came to me – Gamling. He could, and I thought probably would, aid me in my schemes. I grinned to myself with satisfaction and drifted off to sleep.

It was difficult to sit through breakfast, and I only managed it because it was one of the few meals where I was able to spend time with Eomer. Though not alone, we at least were in a smaller party, usually only family, and it was easier to relax. Generally we played a game of 'nudge and bump' under the table where no one could see, and though it was silly, I think it eased some of our tension over other matters.

All through the meal, Faramir kept glancing at me and I think he knew I had found what he wanted me to read, even though I did not tell him so. Eowyn drew him away before he could corner me, and I hastened to find Gamling and arrange to speak with him privately.

I did not get to see Eomer again until supper that night. He regretfully told us that he was going to have to ride out to a village the next day to resolve some problems there. Although it was our wedding day, the marriage itself was not to take place until early evening, followed by a feast. Eomer was certain they would be back in plenty of time so there would be no delay. He had been cooped up in meetings almost incessantly for over a week and I think he relished the idea of being back in the saddle. And even more so because it provided a temporary respite from the wedding preparations and 'helpful' well-wishers.

Naturally, the topic of conversation among the ladies that night was his trip, and I was forced to listen to endless stories of not-particularly-related-in-any-way stories about trips their husbands or lovers had taken. Then there were the two camps – those who thought it dreadful that Eomer would go on such a trip on his wedding day, and those who thought it best to get the groom out of the way for most of the day so preparations would go more smoothly.

I knew it would be pushing my luck to plead another headache, so I had to endure this evening a lot longer. At least this time, I knew that the following day Eomer and I were to wed and soon we would be alone together. Only thoughts of that got me through this final night of planning.

At last, it ended and I was gratefully off to my bed. I slept in the next day; at least that is what Miren told everyone. I was actually awake, but I was jittery enough about the events of the day ahead, that I did not want to have to face the courtiers and listen to them any longer than I had to. I knew Eomer had eaten early and departed, so I wasn't going to see him at breakfast anyway. Not to mention, the ladies would have been up in arms about the 'bad luck' of our seeing each other prior to the wedding. So Miren smuggled me some food for breakfast and I whiled away a few hours in solitude in my room.

It gave me plenty of time to think about the day ahead, and make sure that I was ready. The words spoken at the ceremony would not make me feel I belonged to Eomer any more than I already did, but they were special to me as representative of our willingness to commit ourselves fully to each other.

Eventually, I did have to come out of hiding and let the ladies of the court fuss and bother over me most of the day. I did draw the line at all of them attending me while I bathed, assuring them I could do the job properly without their assistance. I lingered in the tub only because I was not anxious to face the mob again, but the water cooled and the mob grew restless, so I finally dried myself off and let them set themselves upon me in preparation.

While three of them fretted over my clothing, four others began to work on my hair, and I closed my eyes and tried to block out all the noise and find a moment of peace within.

We were all disrupted by a knock at the door and when one of them responded, it was to find my father standing there with a grave look on his face. He seemed hesitant to speak in front of the crowd, but apparently decided the matter could not be kept secret. Even so, he spoke softly, "Thiri, it is nearing time for the ceremony and Eomer has not yet returned. We are a little concerned."

I hugged him reassuringly, "Do not worry, Father. Eomer would not miss his own wedding day."

He tried to smile agreeingly, but I could tell he was not so confident as I sounded. Still, he nodded and excused himself. Some of the ladies had overheard our words, and immediately the conversation turned to the subject of missing grooms. I plastered a smile on my face and settled resignedly back onto a chair as they resumed their ministrations.

But an hour later, there was still no sign of Eomer and now most of the guests seemed to realize that something was amiss. I directed Father to stall for a bit, to give Eomer more time to return, but a half hour later, there was no news. Now it was nearly the time for the feast to begin, so I stood and moved toward the Golden Hall. The retinue of ladies were appalled, but had little choice except to trail behind me to see what would happen. Once there, I squared my shoulders and moved in front of the assembled guests. It did not take long to get their attention and secure their silence.

"My friends, it would appear Eomer King has been delayed in returning, no doubt with good reason. As all of you are planning to stay in Edoras at least another day, we will attempt this wedding on the morrow. For now, please enjoy yourself at the feast." I quickly turned and headed back to my room. Some of the ladies tried to follow, but Amrothos and Faramir had their wits about them enough to know I would not welcome company, and they headed off the pack. Miren hastened to follow me and soon had me out of the gown and back into comfortable clothes.

I pulled the pins from my hair and let it fall down around my shoulders, then turned to the girl who was almost like a sister to me. "Would you fix my hair tonight?" She nodded and moved quickly to take up a brush. In a short time, she had it styled in a pleasing but comfortable manner – one I was certain Eomer would find fetching.

I stood and gave her a hug. Looking her in the eye, I said, "I will turn in early tonight. Please make sure that no one disturbs me, not even my family. And will you bring me a breakfast tomorrow?" She nodded, though her eyes narrowed, but I escorted her to the door. "Thank you for everything, Miren."

An hour later, I slipped out my window and headed to the stable. A horse was saddled for me, and Elfhelm stood by with his own horse ready. Silently, we both mounted and were quickly away. I kept my cloak close about me to hide my face so the guards would not see me riding out. It took less than an hour to reach our destination, a large cave near a wooded area. We found a party of soldiers camped round about the cave, keeping watch. I kept myself concealed, and because of Elfhelm, they let us pass without comment. We rode directly to the cave entrance where a soldier took our horses and Elfhelm escorted me inside.

Several fires had been built up to ward off the chill of the cave, and with the large number of furs placed on the floor, it was almost cozy. And there, waiting for me, was Eomer. I gave him a conspiratorial grin as we approached, and he quickly gave me a kiss.

Then looking to Elfhelm, he asked, "How is this to be done?"

Elfhelm retrieved some parchment from a pouch he carried and carefully opened the first one. He held it up where Eomer could see and said, "First, read this."

Eomer carefully read the words there, and then Elfhelm nodded. "Now, each of you speaks your vows to one another."

We had written lengthier vows to be spoken at our wedding in Edoras, so here we simply expressed our love and devotion to each other, and vowed to love no other. Then Elfhelm stepped back near us and placed a hand on our joined hands, and read from another scroll the words of the witness. When he finished, he gave us a grin, "And now my King...and Queen, I will take my leave of you until morning."

When he was gone, Eomer turned back to me and brushed a hand lightly and lovingly against my cheek, "Is it true? Are we actually married?"

"It is so, my love. We are married twice over. The 'blessing' King Elessar gave us in Gondor was a wedding in itself, and the ceremony we just performed makes it official in Rohan as well. We can either kill Faramir for not telling us we were wed in Gondor, or thank him for discovering that a King of Rohan can perform his own marriage as long as there is at least one witness to it."

Eomer seemed to be pondering the choice of Faramir's fate, so I added, "You may continue considering that, my lord, or you may contemplate the fact that this is our wedding night. I would hope to occupy more of your attention tonight than Faramir does!"

That was all it took to bring his 'attention' back to me. I had little doubt my cousin was safe from harm for providing us a way to have the joyous wedding we wanted, before suffering through the official wedding it was necessary we have. But that was tomorrow, and tonight there was only me and Eomer...my husband.


	9. Chapter 9 finale

**A/N: Oh, no, no, no, no, no! That wasn't the end! THIS is the end!**

fandun – well, Danwen probably won't die, but she still has to face life in a royal court where the queen already has reason not to like her. Sure wouldn't want to be in her shoes!

wondereye – ending? What ending? Read on!

Jazzcat - yes, you are so smart! But did you get ALL of it?

**By The Book**

Chapter 9

When Eomer finally opened his eyes, it was to find me brushing my hair near where he slept. He looked at me closely and asked, "Is that my shirt you are wearing?"

"Yes." I continued brushing, a slight smile grazing my lips, knowing where this conversation was leading.

"And what do you suggest I wear, since you are wearing my clothes?"

I shrugged and gestured across the cave to where we had discarded our clothing the previous night, "If you are intent on being clad, there is a skirt over there!"

He rolled his eyes at me, "You do not give up, do you?"

"Of course not! I have wed you twice now, and still you have not honored your promise to let me see you so attired. I am beginning to think the King of Rohan is not a man of his word!"

With a groan, he rose in one catlike movement and stepped across the room. Laying aside my brush, I stretched out on our bed and admired the view. He glanced at me once, seeming to hope I would change my mind, but I just gave him a grin and waved my hand, "Go ahead! I am waiting!"

A moment later, he stood before me barechested, barefoot and wearing my skirt. I broke up in giggles at the sight and he flushed red. When finally I got my laughter under control, I told him, "No, that will never do! Come here, my love, and let me get you out of that skirt." I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively and his embarrassment quickly turned to passion, as he followed my instructions and joined me.

"I look forward to your help undressing..." he murmured as he began kissing me. And I giggled again as we became lost in one another.

xxxxx

Some time later, a voice called to us from the cave entrance. "My lord, we should consider getting back to Edoras soon," Elfhelm suggested.

Eomer sighed and called back, "Very well. We will be ready shortly."

Reluctantly we rose and dressed, gathering up a few necessary belongings. Eomer and his escort departed first so no one would see me. I had kept myself shrouded with my cloak the night before, but in daylight it would be more difficult to conceal me. Elfhelm had taken Kialmar and returned to Edoras for the night, then rejoined us in the morning. That way the guards at the gate would not be surprised to see someone ride back in with Elfhelm.

Once Eomer and his group were gone, taking the long way to arrive at the city, Elfhelm and I mounted up and made a hasty direct trip in order to arrive before the king returned.

When I walked into the Golden Hall, Amrothos looked up from his interrogation of Gamling as to my whereabouts.

Gamling gestured to me, "As I said, Lady Lothiriel went for a ride. Now she has returned." He quickly moved away before Amrothos could pursue the matter further.

Amrothos looked suspiciously at me and asked, "You went riding?"

"Yes. Elfhelm accompanied me. The strain of this wedding was getting to me and I wanted to clear my head so I would be in a better frame of mind today."

He still looked skeptical and said, "Then why did Miren say you were sleeping in?"

"Because that is what I told her to tell anyone who asked so that I would be left alone. Is there a problem, Amrothos? Why does this concern you so?"

He shrugged, but I knew he still had his doubts about my story. Nevertheless, he dropped the subject and I said, "Have you eaten? Miren brought me some food, but I am hungry and think I will find something to eat."

"I just ate, but I will join you while you dine."

We moved toward the small dining chamber that the royal family used, and we found Faramir and Eowyn still at the table there. They looked up, Eowyn a bit questioningly and Faramir with a benign expression that revealed nothing of his thoughts. "Did you sleep well, Thiri?" Faramir inquired.

"Very well, thank you. Better than I have in days. I think I may actually be able to face the festivities today without turning into a raving lunatic." Then, to disguise things further, "Has Eomer returned yet, or have we heard anything from his party?"

Faramir shook his head, "No, not yet. Do not fret. I am sure he will be along soon."

I nodded, "I am sure you are right." I sat down and dished food onto my plate. A moment later the door opened and in came Eomer.

"Good! Food! I am ravenous this morning." He bent and kissed my cheek, "Good morning, my love. I do hope you forgive me for not making it back for the wedding yesterday. I promise to show up today!"

"I was not worried, though I think our guests are of the opinion you may have changed your mind about marrying me!"

"Never! I would marry you every day if I could!"

Faramir began coughing and when he could speak, he attributed it to swallowing wrong. Eowyn and Amrothos were looking from person to person, and I'm pretty sure they had an inkling that something was going unsaid amongst the three of us. Perhaps one day we will tell them the truth.

Once we had eaten, I gave a heavy sigh and said, "Ah well, back to the mob and their unending attention to me. I will see all of you later."

I rose and headed for my room, fortunately making it there without being spotted by any ladies of the court. Miren was there, waiting for me. I gave her a hug and said, "Thank you for all your help yesterday and today. I know the things I have asked you to do and say seem a bit odd, but there is a good reason for them, and you have helped save my sanity."

She gave me a nod, and glanced to my breakfast tray. "When you were not here this morning, I took the liberty of eating some of the breakfast I brought for you. I hope you do not mind."

I grinned, "Not at all! All the better as it makes my story look more real. I should have thought to ask you to do so."

"Would you like me to arrange for a bath?" she asked, and I nodded gratefully.

"That would be lovely. Thank you."

A short time later, I was soaking in the tub and lazily recalling my night with Eomer, a contented smile on my face. After almost an hour, the water was cold, so I reluctantly finished and got out.

By late morning, the hordes had descended once again and were swarming about me, chattering madly about anything and everything. The midday meal was a welcome respite, but they were soon gathered around me once more, and the wedding was still much too far off.

_Five hours and twenty-three minutes...I'll never make it_, I thought. Once again, I allowed my mind to drift back to the previous night and I stiffened my back with resolve. I _could_ do this. From here on was just a formality. All I had to do was sit quietly and let everyone else fuss; then I would put in appearance, say my vows and it would all be over – and I would be wed to Eomer for the third time.

At last, the time drew near and I was dressed and coifed and primped to within an inch of my life. Then my father was there to accompany me to the Golden Hall where Eomer awaited. As Doorward, it was Gamling's job to perform the actual ceremony when the king himself was marrying, and we made our way through the formalities. Finally we were done, and I stood with a simple crown on my head, beside the King of Rohan as his queen. We turned to the assembled crowd who saluted us and then we led the way outside onto the terrace to greet the townspeople who had not been at the actual ceremony.

I noted that Hamal and Breewyn had brought the orphans to see their new Queen, and the children all waved excitedly at me when they saw me look in their direction. Lissa was edging shyly forward, and when Eowyn spotted her, she went and accompanied her to where we stood. She had gathered a bouquet of simbelmyne for me and I took it after giving her a hug. She beamed as she turned and ran back to join the other children.

We walked to the bottom of the terrace around Meduseld so that the people could greet us personally if they wished, and in the meantime Gamling was getting the hall ready for the feast.

At last the crowd released us and we made our way back inside. And so the evening droned on. There were toasts and good-nature ribbing, dancing, joking, laughing, much drinking and a great deal of monotonous chatter from puffed up nobles. I was beginning to think my smile was so firmly affixed to my face that I'd never be able to frown again. My feet hurt and my head was pounding from all the noise, but I kept reminding myself this was the end. We had fulfilled the requirements of marriage to a king and soon we could begin our life together.

I had not seen Eomer for well over an hour, except for glimpses across the room, but suddenly he appeared at my side and asked, "Would you dance with your king, my lady?"

I gave him my first genuine smile of the evening and nodded coyly. With a curtsy, I told him, "It would be my pleasure, Eomer King."

We were silent at first, but then he whispered, "I recognize that look in your eyes. Are you regretting marrying me?"

I pulled back slightly to look at his face. "My lord, I have married you three times in two different countries and under three authorities. I hardly see how you can question my love and devotion! Has not my determination to be married to you been made perfectly clear?"

He chuckled and pulled me close again. Finally, he whispered, "Your love and devotion – and determination – I do not question, only your tolerance level for what must be endured. But I suppose I should not even doubt that. When you know you have the upper hand, even if others are blissfully unaware, your tolerance level seems to increase! I have found myself a most resourceful companion."

I stopped dancing, and smiled up at him. "For you, my love, I would endure all things if I had to – upper hand or not. The best thing I ever decided to do was not let you court me!"

He pulled me into a kiss and the crowd disappeared momentarily, though they noisily returned, as we came up for air, by applauding our display.

At length, the last of the guests either left or passed out, and we were finally free to be alone together. Despite our coming together for the first time the previous night, we felt no less excitement this time. And as I drifted off to sleep, safe in his arms, I acknowledged to myself once again, there had been no mistake in my marrying Eomer.

THE END

_I put these two notes in as "new chapters" to alert those who had already finished reading the story, in case they were interested. I think most everyone has done that now, so I am moving them to the bottom of the final chapter as FYI info for any new readers who may not understand something. _

_Pouting_

_(Pouting in disappointment) Didn't ANYONE enjoy Eomer finally in a skirt? You hounded me for it and then said nothing. I'm broken-hearted. (But at least I have the mental imagine of it to ease my pain…) (Just kidding!)_

_Ramblings_

****

_This is just mostly me rambling on about stuff and responding to some reviewers, so you don't have to read it if you aren't interested in that. IT DOES NOT continue the story in any way (though there is a brief bit that explains something in the story, but you may already understand it without the explanation)._

Okay, I've stopped pouting! I just thought it strange that so many people commented that they hoped it would happen (Eomer in a skirt) since I was "teasing" you so much with it, but then no one mentioned it when they read the final chapter.

A couple of points that were raised:

From what I have been told, newlyweds (and people in love in general) often do totally silly/ridiculous things like the guy putting on her clothes. It is meant to be a private moment, though some do seem to take pictures and then stupidly leave them laying around where they are found by someone and general mortification occurs! (Don't ask me why – I don't understand it either.) I don't see Eomer making it a habit of wearing a skirt, but he did promise (probably not ever thinking she would hold him to it) and then had to make good on it when she questioned him being a man of his word. But I doubt he would have done it if he thought for even one nanosecond that she would ever tell anyone else what he had done. And she really only made him go through with it to tease him – she doesn't expect him to do it on a regular basis either. So, darkwateryoukai, don't be disturbed by it. Just laugh and don't worry too much about it.

fandun – I know many fics have the "checking of the sheets" from the wedding night written into it and I considered that, but in most of those stories, it is only a Rohan custom. I haven't seen many, if any, that make it a Gondor custom and that tends to make me question if we have any hard "evidence" that it is a custom in Rohan or whether someone wrote it in a story and everyone has used it as "canon" since then. I chose to omit it, both because it may not even be a custom and because it didn't fit with the story.

Jazzcat – sorry to make you blush! Everyone knows that married couples have sex, so I "reference" it mildly but never intend to describe all the details. It's sort of like Rhett Butler taking Scarlet O'Hara in his arms and carrying her upstairs to their bedroom that she's had him locked out of for awhile. Everyone knows what he has on his mind, and it isn't a pleasant little chat over a cup of tea. But we don't need to see/read it. Some will fill in the details on their own, and that is up to them, but I don't ever plan to write it. As for the skirt being pink – hmmm, since pink isn't one of my favorite colors, I don't tend to think of it right off the bat, so my mental image has it more likely in blue (and knowing Lothiriel, it may even be that pale blue dress that put in appearance twice in No Mistake).

Blue Eyes At Night – I'm no artist, but maybe someone else is and wants to take a crack at drawing this and posting it somewhere!

MadAniviel – I agree. I liked No Mistake better, too, though this one has some good moments in it. That's the trouble with sequels that were never really intended. It's hard to keep them "as good" as the original.

In case anyone wasn't totally clear about it, Faramir did what he did with the "marriage" in Gondor and the "married by the King himself" because he suspected that the wedding was going to be difficult for Lothiriel, with all the rigid "state" formality that marrying a king requires. He didn't tell her, since the goal wasn't to have them circumvent her father's edict to wait 6 months, but rather to make her "legally" married in both Gondor and Rohan so that if anyone found out about their "wedding night", a day before the official state wedding, they would have that to fall back on so that it wasn't inappropriate. And both of those "weddings" allowed her and Eomer to have more the wedding they wanted, even though they still had to endure the official wedding for state reasons.

As to future stories, for the moment, I am not feeling very inspired by anything, and as you may have noticed, I don't really like doing the same old idea over and over unless I think I can bring something new to it. The only thing presently on paper is an unfinished Legomance, but that is from when I first saw the movies and was drooling over him. Since I became enamored of Eomer, it is hard to write a romance with someone else (I tend to become one of the characters while I am writing and that helps me focus on what is happening and their reactions to it and all – which was really strange in Eye of the Beholder, since I was in essence writing it as Eomer).

So, it may be awhile before something strikes me to get writing again (or it may be 5 minutes from now, who knows). I thought about a Boromir story when I rewatched Fellowship and read In The Way (by Emily716), but don't have any real ideas to work with that have pushed me onward. As much as I like Faramir, I don't really see doing a solo story on him, since the Eowyn/Faramir thing has been so well covered (it seems to be one of the most popular pairings in LOTR).

There is still the possibility of sequels to Eye of the Beholder and/or The Truest Friends, but nothing is firm yet. At least on the latter, I have a couple of possible ideas to go from, but I'm not feeling very compelled to write them. Someone also mentioned doing a vignette with Elfwine, and I'm playing with that idea to see if anything inspires me. So all I can really tell you is, stay tuned! Moryan brought up the idea of writing something with my OCs (ie Danwen, Kialmar, Miren or Amrothos–well, he doesn't really count as OC, does he?). That might be something to consider, as I adored Amrothos in this and really had fun with him. And I could have other LOTR characters interacting with him – we'll see.

If you have any other ideas for stories that you want to send along in hopes of inspiring me, send them to my e-mail: dalleyan at yahoo dot com (only type it in the usual way – I don't think it will show up if I write it normally). That way they won't clutter up the review section, and I can respond directly to you instead of putting in these bogus chapters that ffn doesn't want me putting in anyway!

Thanks again for all the kind words and support. And, yes, your criticism is welcome as it sometimes brings up things I hadn't thought of, or that I had thought of but maybe need to explain why I didn't do something. Don't feel bad if I don't change something based on your criticism. Keep in mind, my stories are completely written before they are posted. Major changes would really hack them up and make it difficult for anyone who had already read a chapter to understand why something was different later on. One person did point out that Elrothiel would be a feminine name (I gave it to a male horse). It was fairly simple to change that as it only came up once or twice and wasn't a big change to the story. Some others made comments, that while valid, would have required a complete rewrite of the story to change/eliminate and so I didn't do those. But I DO keep their comments in mind when writing the next story and hopefully won't make the same mistake twice.

Hope life treats you well!

Deandra


End file.
